Our reverse domino effect
by KHwhitelion
Summary: Sequel to "Our time resistant emails." The death of John Dorian can be compared to a line of dominoes; one small piece/event that sets off a messy chain reaction. A reaction Nigel Matthews and Sam Dorian are determined to prevent. Future-esque fic!
1. His far fetched proposal

**Hi everyone! I'm back! To anyone who's read "Our Time-resistant emails" this is the sequel! I know it's probably not what you've wanted me to post, but I assure you this fic, co-written by my friend Celestialstorywriter, will be well worth the read! Like the first part, this was originally an RP, and Celeste and I are writing for specific characters. I play JD, Sam Dorian and the Janitor, and she plays Nigel Matthews, Jack Cox and Dr. Cox. The other characters that appear throughout the fic are interchangeable.**

**Oh! This is my 50th uploaded fic!  
**

**Enjoy!**

**---------------------------------------------------**

"Oh, come on!" Nigel growled, running to catch up with his blonde friend, who had stalked off in annoyance. "Why can't you just believe me? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here! You get to go BACK IN TIME to stop your father from COMITTING SUICIDE! What more convincing do you need?" There wasn't much time left, he had to get himself and Sam into the past...

The blond turned around, his eyes blazing with anger. "You think this is some kind of joke?!" He spat angrily, fists curling at his sides, "You know what he did to me! My family! So how...." He paused, breathing slightly ragged, "how dare you bring your little games of "time travel" into this! Claiming I can....I can...." He stopped, shaking his head. "Nigel, come on."

Nigel shook his head, doing his best to look sincere, which he really was. "I'm not joking, Sam. You _know_ me, I wouldn't joke about this." His eyes were almost pleading as he looked at the blonde, "I've been working on it for years, and now it finally works. I even emailed my father from the past-- I'm serious!"

Sam looked at his friend, long and hard. He wanted to believe him; he really did. But....time travel? That was simply an idea--a possibility. It wasn't real. It _couldn't_ be....  
"Nigel...." he said slowly, only half wanting to say what next came out of his mouth, "....I....I _want_ to believe you--I do....but...." He sighed. "if you've got proof or something, it'd be a lot easier to."

"I could show you the emails, but I think you've-- I KNOW you've already seen half of them. What more proof do you need?" Nigel pressed, stepping towards Sam a step. They only had barely two hours, damn it, he wished Sam would give in already.

"Alright alright so I read the damn emails!" The blond confessed, "That doesn't make it any easier to believe!"

"Do you really think I would prank you so cruelly like that for no reason?" Nigel asked honestly, his voice gaining an edge to it.

Sam knew the answer to that question. He'd known it the entire time. It was just....so damn hard to believe. A chance to change the past? It sounded too good to be true. And he had actually feared it was. "No I don't." He said finally, running a hand through his hair, "I just....Nigel, think about where I'm coming from. It's not easy for me to....well, I've been wishing I could change the past ever since that day." He exhaled then straightening up. "I want this. I want to stop him. Tell that damn sonuvabitch first hand what he did to me."

"Now, Sam," Nigel said cautiously, "You can't get mad at him, I'm going to send you back to right before he started considering _those_ kind of things, and you can stop him. Did you ever stop to think that he had a REASON for doing what he did? He felt alone, betrayed and abandoned, from what I've read in his old dia-- journal. Just... show him that he's not alone, is all I can think of." As an afterthought, he added, "I'll help you."

"You'll....help me?" Sam echoed, slightly taken aback "what, does that mean you're coming with me or something?"

Nigel nodded firmly, "If it's successful, I will go with you. If not... hopefully they'll be able to identify my remains." he smiled cheekily at his own eerie joke.

"Gee, don't _I_ feel safe." Sam replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

You should, actually." Nigel said in a more serious tone, "You have a much better chance of going through unharmed than me."

"Going through what unharmed?"

Nigel jumped at least ten feet in the air. "JACK!" he yelped in shock. The older man was standing near them with his arms crossed over his torso.

"Just _what_ do you two think you're doin' _without_ my consent?" He flicked his nose in Coxian-fashion. "Do you ever learn? NOTHING goes on around this hospital that I am not aware of."

Bitter though he was, Sam actually laughed. "Jack, we're not kids anymore!" He protested, mimicking the older man by crossing his own arms. "And you can't just pop out of nowhere like that!"

Biting back a smile, Jack replied, "Sure I can. Dad trained me." Becoming serious again, he asked, "Now what the hell are you guys doin', seriously?"

"Nothing." Nigel answered a bit too quickly.

The blond nodded. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He added haughtily, somber mood beginning to sink back in. "Nigel's showing my something his dad made a long time ago." He paused, tilting his head forward, "Now leave us alone."

Okay, now he knew something was up. Narrowing his eyes, Jack growled, "If there's a chance of either of you getting hurt, I need to know. 'Cuz like hell am I gonna let you do it, then."

"Dammit." Nigel cursed to himself. "Jack, honestly, we don't have time for this. We need to go, NOW. We're running out of time." As he said the last part, he glanced briefly at Sam.

Understanding, Sam furthered the explanation as best he could. "Look Jack," He stated, having no need to force the already present harsh tone in his voice, "No one is going to get hurt, okay? But if you don't let us need now a lot of people _will_. Including everyone we know. And Jack" He lowered his voice, "That's something I am _not_ going to take."

Jack stood stiffly, watching them suspiciously. Then, he gave a small nod. He knew they wouldn't lie like this; he knew them too well. He just wished he could know what the hell they were talking about. He stepped to the side, no longer barring their way. "Go."

A small smile graced Sam's lips. "Thanks" He said earnestly, before turning to Nigel with an urgent "Let's get going."

"Right. To my place!" Nigel shot down the hall and out the doors like a dart, leaving the other two in the dust. He then reappeared, peeking his head through the door, leaning to one side somewhat to give patients room to enter. "Ya comin'?"

Sam cast a wary glance at Jack, then turned his attention back to the young brunette. "Yeah...." He said, shaking off his last remaining doubts and darting down the hall. He wasn't going to miss this chance. Not even if there WERE any possible dangers accompanying it.


	2. Their warped arrival

Fumbling to open his apartment door with sweaty hands, Nigel cast an anxious glance at Sam as it creaked open. After so long of preparing... they were finally going to do it.

He stepped inside.

Following suite, the darker haired man led them through the apartment until they were standing in front of the bathtub. Sam quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

Looking sheepish, Nigel said, "Wait." He grasped a towel, pulling it downwards. Instead of falling to the ground as any sane person thought it would, it seemed glued in place, and there was a loud creaking sound as the bathroom surrounding them was switched out by a lab-like room.

"You _really_ have been watching too much James Bond."

Grinning, Nigel replied, "I know." He leaned forward, yanking on a lever, and a table sprang up from the flat floor, a small square-shaped radio-esque device on it. "Here it is, Sam; the time machine." He pointed at it.

It's not like Sam was expecting a Dalorian or anything; he knew science fiction when he saw it. Bu to think something that looked....well, so small could actually send the two of them back in time....that was another matter entirely.

"So...." He began, after several seconds of staring at the device, "this....this is gonna take us back?" he cast a glance at Nigel, earlier thoughts resurfacing. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"I'm 99% sure." Then Nigel added, "That's pretty damn high, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, Sammy boy."

Not much room to argue there. "Okay...." Sam replied, cringing a little at Nigel's nickname for him.

Nigel extended a hand, tapping on the device once, making all the little numerous buttons light up in bright colors. "Looks like a mini Christmas tree..." he said quietly, marveling at his own work.

"Um, Nigel?" the blond asked suddenly, remembering something, "Didn't you say we were running out of time?"

Nigel blinked in realization, appalled at his own stupidity. "O-of course," he stammered, "We don't really need any preparations for this, we just DO it." He pressed a bright yellow button that was bigger than all the others, "Hang on!" To what, he didn't know.

A blinding flash of light occurred next, and the world around them began to spin; structured objects meshing into a swirl of crooked lines and unnamable colors. Wincing at both the light and dizzying surroundings, Sam clamped his hands onto Nigel's shoulders.

Nigel winced as Sam's hands dug into his flesh sharply, but didn't say anything, he was too dazed by the lights to speak. Everything stayed a swirling mesh of colors for almost two minutes, before it began to slow down, all the misplaced colors eventually falling into place.

Nigel found himself unable to focus for a few seconds, before he slowly realized they were in a Sacred Heart supply closet, alone. He would recognize it anywhere, it was where he usually hid his knife-wrench while hanging around the hospital and it wasn't needed. Swallowing, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

"We did it."

Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Sam's blue eyes opened. "We did?" He asked, scanning his surroundings. A feeling of uncertainty twisted in his stomach. "It looks the same to me."

Nigel rolled his eyes, "Of course it does, it's a _supply closet_." He took a tentative step towards the door, cautiously pulling on the handle to peek out of the room, the door creaking slightly as he did so.

Interns, doctors, nurses, and patients bustled by, none of them even sparing the slightly-open door a glance. Nigel tried to look along the walls for a calendar, but didn't see anything but old black-and-white pictures of the hospital's founders and ancient stuff like that.

It looked basically the same as it did in their time, but there was one difference: Nigel didn't recognize a single person. "We definitely made it." He confirmed, stepping to the side slightly to let Sam see. _I wonder where my Dad is?_

Shoving his friend aside, Sam stepped out into the hallway to confirm his friend's words.

"Yeah." he said, eyes widening slightly "We did." He knew Nigel would remember none of them, but every so often, he'd see a face that'd trigger a memory from long ago. "Damn....how far back did you bring us?" He asked abruptly, eyes falling on one doctor--an older fellow who looked suspiciously like the man from Kentucky Fried Chicken--whom he'd seen scattered throughout photo's in his father's old Sacred Heart scrapbook.

Nigel almost glared as his friend shoved him, but didn't say anything otherwise. "I told you, back when Mr. Cox was Chief, while my Dad still works here, and right before your father starts having those... thoughts." He hoped Sam wouldn't notice his slight pause, but the blonde WAS talented at reading people's faces/voices...

A flare of anger shot up within the blond at the mention of his father's 'downward spiral' but he grit his teeth and let it pass. If he blew up now, he knew he'd only be attracting unwanted attention.

Though....it _did_ irk him when Nigel chose to pause.

"So, now we search for someone we recognize. Like... Mr. Cox, for instance. I never really knew him, but I think you did, right? Or we could search for your fath-- Elliot." Nigel wouldn't risk his friend blowing up so soon after arriving, so he supposed they should avoid Mr. Dorian for now.

"Sure." Sam said, put off again by his friend's unusual behavior towards his father. "Someone we know who won't...." He sent an irritated glare at Nigel, "...._freak out._"

"Oh, right. Guess Elliot's out then. Carla? Turk? MAYBE Mr. Cox...?" Nigel pressed.

It was then that a booming voice entered his ears, "What the hell are you two morons standing around for?!"

Nigel's eyes went wide. _Oh, SHIT. Speak of the devil..._

Dr. Cox stormed towards them.

_...and he shall appear._

Sam straightened his posture--a reflex of having spent far too much time throughout his youth with the Cox household. He looked at Nigel, his eyes screaming. _what the HELL do we do now?!_ he asked mentally, well aware the doctor's footsteps were growing closer.

"For now?" Nigel answered his silent plea in a hushed whisper, "RUN!" with that, he bolted down the hallway.

Dr. Cox let out a menacing growl.

"Hey! Wait for me!" The blond man cried, scampering after his friend.

"GET BACK HERE ya little sonuvabitches..." Dr. Cox's voice eventually faded as they shot down the halls like bullets.

Nigel spotted the elevator, its doors wide open, but beginning to close. "QUICK!" He hollered, adrenaline pumping through him, not quite yet realizing that they were no longer being followed. He made a dive for the rapidly closing doors.

"Hey! Watch it!" a voice called from inside the elevator, having barely shuffled out of the way of the young men, "I just got those shoes...." The voice stopped then, a small gasp emitting instead. "Nigel?"

Nigel's head snapped up. "Dad?!" he gasped, staring into the face of the janitor-uniform clad man. It looked just like him, only way younger... A smile broke onto his face. "It IS you!" He then looked at Sam. "This is Sam, Mr. Dorian's son. See, Sammy boy, the emails WERE real!"

"You recognize him?" Sam asked, having trouble believing the Janitor--or Glenn--knew his future son instantaneously.

Glenn Matthews smiled slightly, in that odd sort of way that didn't quite look sane. "'course I do!" He exclaimed, throwing an arm around Nigel's shoulder, "Kid's a chip off the old block!"

Nigel beamed. He'd always been proud of his father's approval of him. He glanced at his father. Huh, they really did look alike, sort of.

"We do," The janitor answered, "trust me. Look in a mirror." He then turned his attention to the blond man--who hadn't stopped gawking at them. "So...._you're_ Dorian's kid. Yeah....yeah I can see it; you DO look like--"

"DON'T finish that statement." Sam snapped, slightly startling the older man. "I'm NOTHING like my father."

Glenn held up his hands. "oookay kid, didn't mean any harm." He said truthfully. Then, to his son, he whispered, "I can see why you came back."

Nigel nodded slightly to confirm his father's words. Sam deserved to have the father he never had; as his friend, Nigel was going to do everything he could to get his father back and KEEP him with them. "So, Dad," He said after clearing his throat, "should we just keep this between the three of us, or tell at least one other person?"

Stroking his chin, the janitor considered his son's words carefully. "Well," he said after a moment, "I think....for now, you might want to keep it between us. Time travel ain't a common thing, son; and with what you're trying to do, people might not take you seriously."

"But...." Sam cut in, an edge in his voice, "what about my father? We _have_ to tell him, don't we?"

Glenn could sense the emotions beginning to stir within the blond, so he kept his answer simple. "Eventually. But you two just got here."

"I think he's right, Sammy boy," Nigel added, a flicker of concern in his brown eyes as he tried to read his friend's emotions.

He could sense their eyes on him....their faces screwed up in looks of hidden concern. It was the same look everyone for the past fourteen years had given him--questioning his mental stability. Wondering if he was going to....

He shook his head, forcing those thoughts aside. This _wasn't_ like those times. Nigel was his friend. And Mr. Matthews....  
"I'm fine, guys." he said after a moment, running his fingers through his hair, "don't worry."

Letting out a breath of relief, Nigel said, "Okay, just checking." Then he realized something. "Where are we going to stay?"

"Well...." Glenn began, then stopped. The obvious choice WAS to have the two stay with him....but with Lady there, that would pose some....complications. Unless....

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." He said finally, after an internal debate, "you two are gonna come home with me--say you're my second cousins or something. If anyone asks, your car, wallet and cell phones were stolen while on the way to a business trip and you have absolutely no where else to go." He smirked triumphantly, "I'd like to see Lady argue with that."

"Uh...."

"What is it, Do--_Sam_?"

"Well....does the story, um, have to be so....dramatic?"

Glenn shrugged. "Not unless one of you's got a better idea."

Nigel nodded, satisfied with his father's answer. "Okay. Can we go now, or are you still on your... shift?" He couldn't quite find the right word for it.

Glenn laughed. "Ha....ha....'shift.'" He extended an arm, hitting the 'first floor' button of the elevator. "If you two have got everything, I suggest we go."

He wanted to protest. To tell them to wait--give him a chance to confront the man who ruined his life. But a quick glance at the other two men told him there was no way out of this one. They were going to leave Sacred Heart. Now. Sighing, Sam Dorian nodded in consent to the janitor's suggestion.


	3. Their plan of action

**I'll say this now: dividing up this RP is a lot trickier than I thought it would be, which is why this chapter is longer than the others. Ah well: be prepared for some JanitorxLady cuteness!**

**-----------------------------------------------**

After some careful maneuvering around the parking lot, Glenn Matthews had managed to "smuggle"--as he called it--Sam and Nigel out of the hospital and into his van. It had been an...._interesting_ ride, to say the least....but then again, the last time Sam had set foot in the janitor's van, he'd been a child.

Of course, that was nothing in comparison to Mr. Matthews's actual residence. Unlike most adults he knew, Glenn lived in an actual house...._in the middle of nowhere_.  
"Wow...." Sam muttered, swatting away a dragonfly, "it's no wonder you guys moved out of--"

"Shh!" Nigel silenced him. He cupped an ear with one hand, pressing his head against the door. "Is that Mom? I hear faint singing."

Glenn raised an eyebrow. "'Course it's her. What, she doesn't sing or somethin' in the future?"

Nigel shook his head, "No, she does, she just sounds... different than I remember. Higher-pitched." He told his father, absorbed in listening to his mother's voice. He had always loved to listen to her singing.

Though he never _had_ been honest when it came to his feelings, Glenn Matthews let a genuine smile crawl across his face. "Son," he began, placing a hand on the door knob, "you gotta remember, a lot of things are gonna be different than what you're used to."

He gave the knob a turn, but frowned when it refused to turn completely.

"Locked?" Sam asked from behind.

"Yup." He nodded. "Smart gal. You can never tell just _what's_ out there."

"That's Mom alright!" Nigel said proudly, puffing out his chest. "Sis does the same thing, too."

The janitor beamed. "I tra--_raised_ them well." he said, changing tactics to knock on the door instead.

"Lady!" He called, rapping his fist against the wooden surface "I'm home!"

Nigel shot a grin at his blonde friend, "I don't think you've met my mother, have you? Just my dad..."

Sam shrugged. "Not really." He replied, watching as the door knob turned from inside the door, "at least, not since we were kids."  
"That's a 'I don't remember.'" Glenn muttered, a tone of disappointment laced beneath his words. "Which," he continued, "I find hard to believe."

"Yeah you _would_" the blond shot back, bordering on hostile, "It's not like you have _any_ idea _what_ my childhood was li--"

The door swung open, followed by a "Glenn!" that cut off the beginning of Sam's rant.

Nigel shot Sam a Look, saying _don't start with this NOW, Sammy_ before his head shot up to look at his mother. She definitely looked younger than when he had last seen her, and he thought she had been beautiful before... another burst of pride swelled in his chest.

She was staring at him. He cleared his throat. "Hi." he squeaked, cringing slightly as he heard his own voice.

Lady gave him a funny look, taken aback at such an unusual greeting. Her dark eyes met her husband's questioningly. "Glenn...." she asked, staring past his shoulder over at the two time travelers, "who are _they_?"  
"Who them?" He repeated, yanking a thumb in the direction of the younger men, "they're...."

_Oh don't do it...._ Sam cringed, thoughts flickering back to an earlier conversation.

"....they're my cousins. Twice removed. Got robbed a few blocks back and need a place to stay for a while."

A sigh escaped the blond's lips. _Him and his dramatics_.

Nigel barely resisted giggling.

Lady paused, studying the two. "O... kay... Why is one wearing scrubs, and the other a handyman's outfit?" A slender brow was raised in question.

Crap.

Sam grit his teeth, eyes widening if ever so slightly. His eyes never left Glenn's face; searching for some clue as to how the older man was going to respond to such an abrupt question.

"Lady...." Glenn began, casting shifty gazes at his surroundings, "Let's go inside, and then we'll talk."

A pang of panic struck the blond. He wasn't going to tell her, was he?

Lady's eyebrow shot up further, but she nodded. She trusted Glenn, even loved him, so she had no reason to refuse. "...And why are you still wearing your janitor's outfit? You know I don't like that thing." She was settling into fussy, overprotective-lover mode now (or as he knew it: fussy, overprotective-mother), and Nigel was glad for it. It meant she was starting to become at ease. His father had always managed to calm her down.

"Why am I still wearing my janitor outfit." Glenn echoed, this time in form of a statement. He laughed--a little nervously--before proceeding with his explanation. "You _could_ say things over at the hospital took an um....unusual turn." His head swiveled in Nigel's direction, "isn't that right?"

Nodding vigorously in response, Nigel stammered, "Y-yep." He then added more to himself than anyone else, "Unusual isn't quite the right word for it..."

Stepping to the side, Lady motioned with her arm for the three men to enter.

"Thanks darlin'" Janitor slurred in a southern brogue, kissing his wife on the cheek. She smiled at this, but as soon as he broke away, her face fell flat.  
"Okay," She started, pointing a finger at them, "you boys need to tell me what's going on." her brow furrowed, "now."

"But--"

"_Now_ she reiterated, "or I'll throw those two out on the street."

Sam watched the scenario unfold, his blue eyes widening slightly. In all the years he'd known Glenn Matthews, he'd never quite seen him taken down so easily. Especially by someone more than a head shorter.

Nigel cleared his throat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He gave his father a pointed look, "You tell her." He murmured to him, "I always freeze up when she gives me the Look."

Lady raised an eyebrow. "Look?" she asked, eyes shifting from her husband to her future son.

Glenn nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes ma'am." He said, preparing himself for the information he was about to reveal to her. "'The Look'. It's what your son here calls that death glare of yours whenever you get irritated."

"My....my _what_?" His wife stammered, utterly confused. "Glenn, honey, I don't have a...."

Lady trailed off, her brown gaze fixing on Nigel's similar one. She felt a shock go through her. He really did look like she and Glenn combined...

"Um, not yet, but you do in the future. And a daughter. Me and my sister." Nigel said when she trailed off, and took a deep breath, "Is... is there any chance that you believe in time travel? Even in the slightest?"

"I...." She managed, eyes widened to their full extent, "....I've seen some blue prints of Glenn's but...."

Sam stepped forward. "Lady....er....Mrs. Matthews, please we're telling the truth! Nigel and I, we're from the future...."

Lady stared at Sam, as if she was looking at someone she knew but couldn't quite remember. Suddenly, recognition dawned on her face, "You-- you're that sweet Dr. Dorian's son, aren't you? You look a bit like him..."

Nigel froze. Silently, he pleaded with his friend, _Please, Sam, don't get mad over this, she doesn't know..._

That familiar twinge of anger struck the blond man, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Sweet?" He spat, eyes darkening, "MY father? How dare you--"

He stopped, an unusual weight suddenly present on his shoulder.

"Now isn't the time or place for that, Sam." He heard Glenn almost demand, the pressure on his shoulder increasing. A pressure, he realized, that was caused by one of the janitor's calloused hands.

Nigel winced, "Sam, seriously, Dad's right. Your father isn't the same person who did THAT. Not yet. That's why we're here, remember? To stop him from becoming that person."

"I...." He sighed, head falling into a raised hand, "I know. I just...." A pause. "I'm sorry."

Though she'd been startled by the man's sudden outburst, concern was now etched in Lady's face, and she hesitantly approached him. "What person?" She asked, "what do you mean by that?" Her eyes turned to Glenn, "something....something happens to Dr. Dorian?"

Her husband's turned to sigh. "Lady, I love ya, but that's something that I don't think I should tell ya."

Although unsatisfied by his answer, Lady sighed and gave in. "All right. I suppose that's reasonable..." Her gaze turned to Nigel, and she looked him up and down. "You're my... my s-son?"

Smiling, Nigel nodded, "Yes, I am. Hi Mom."

"I don't...." A pause. "No, actually I do. You look just like Glenn....but younger, and with my eyes." her gaze shifted--hesitantly--towards Sam. "And you....you're Dr. Dorian's son."

Sam nodded, his hands fidgeting at his side.

"Well...." Lady mused, looping her arm through Glenn's, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I actually believe you guys." She winked at her son. "I mean, you ARE living proof."

Smiling wider than he recalled smiling in ages, Nigel wrapped his mother in a tight hug. She froze at first, then hugged back, albeit hesitantly. She knew this was probably insane, but... she just felt like they were telling the truth. She cast Glenn a glance, one that said _I'm-gonna-find-out-sooner-or-later-so-watch-your-ass._

Suppressing a shiver, the janitor plastered a smile on his face. "Well boys," he said, turning to Nigel and Sam, "why don't we head down to my la--_basement_ for a bit. Plan out the uh, next few days."

Nigel nodded. "I remember going down there aalot when I was a kid." He smiled fondly at the memories of plotting world domination with his father.

"I see you're your father's son." Lady mused, a curious look in her eye. "If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen."

"Sounds good!" Glenn replied, heading towards the basement--Sam in tow. "You mind telling us when dinner is?"

An 'I-should-have-expected-no-less-from-you' giggle floated from the kitchen door, as Lady answered with an "I'll be sure to."

Nigel bounded after the two, excitement bubbling in his chest. It'd been a long time since he'd seen his father's lab-- he had missed it. Looking at Sam, he asked giddily (and a bit goofily), "Aren't my parents just awesome?"

The blond's eyes rolled. "Yes." He alleged, "_quite_ awesome."

"I knew you'd agree." Nigel almost giggled. Almost. He wouldn't risk displaying such behavior around his father, whom he was sure had the image of the perfect son in his mind.

Traveling down the steps, Glenn flicked the light switch, guiding the time travelers until they reached a worn sofa, and what he liked to think of a "plotting" chair placed on opposite sides of a well-loved coffee table. Taking a seat in the chair, he gestured for the younger men to sit down.

Nigel followed his father's request immediately out of habit. He wondered if he should ask this, if it was appropriate, but then he figured he might as well get on with it. "When do you think we should tell Mr. Dorian? I think it might be best if it's soon. He's gotta find out somehow, to stop it..." _...and will he even believe us? I know everyone said he was a daydreamer and a bit childish, but they also said that when he was serious it was hard to change his mind..._ He added the last part to himself, he didn't want to talk too much about him around Sam. He cared about his friend, but worried about him too.

"Excellent question," Glenn replied, pointing a finger at his son, "And I think you're right." His eyes traveled to Sam, who's face wore an unreadable expression. Making a mental note to watch the boy, he added, "Careful or not, it isn't safe for you to stay here. In the present, I mean. But you know that." The last part was directed at his son. "So, Nigel, Sam....I think, once we formulate our approach, we should tell him in the next few days."

Narrowing his eyes, he locked gazes with Sam. "As _calm_ and _professional_ as possible, okay?"

He received no verbal reply, but Sam's hands curled around the edge of the sofa.

Nigel made sure not to look at the blonde, instead, he agreed with his father, "Okay, sounds like a plan, then. But..." he trailed off, searching for the right words, "...from what you told me, Dad, you prank him. A lot. So, I think it's also best if _we_ talk to him first. Because if you go to him, he'll just think you're messing with him."

For a moment, Sam thought the older man would take offense to his son's statement. However, when his face broke into a proud expression, the thought vanished. "You're a smart kid, Nigel." Glenn stated proudly. "A true 'Matthews' if I ever saw one. He wouldn't believe me--given past experiences. And--as you know--while I wouldn't normally care...._this_ time, he HAS to see we're not fooling." He leaned forward, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, "so you two had better do everything you can to make sure he knows it's the truth."

"Don't worry." Sam stated coldly, "I will."

He nodded, pretending it was out of approval, but his eyes sent his son a silent message. _Watch your friend_ he warned, intensity burning in his blue pupils _if he blows up, Dorian might actually be in danger as it is_.

Biting his lip, Nigel answered with a subtle nod. _Of course._ Then, he tried to sound casual as he said, "Sooo... what's Mr. Dorian like right now? We're going to have to know how to make friends with him, y'know, gain his trust to help him believe us." He even surprised himself when he didn't stutter or hesitate at the word 'friends.'

Glenn leaned back in his chair. "Now?" He answered, "Well, that's hard to say. A bit overworked, maybe, but personality wise, he's as girly and as childish as ever." Here, he laughed, "he and Bald surgeon drive Angry doctor crazy."

Nigel snorted, "From what I've seen, people who work at hospitals are _always_ overworked."

"Har har." Sam replied sarcastically.

"Well, it's true." Nigel huffed, giving Sam a dry look. "Okay, so we got that settled, now what?"

"_Now_" Lady called, poking her head in the door, "you all come up and eat!"

Glenn jumped, springing to his feet, "Lady! This is a _private_ gathering!"

Lady's eye almost twitched. "I don't care. Oh, and I thought you TOLD me to tell you when the food was ready?"

Nigel rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, Dad, she has a point.

Something like embarrassment crossed the janitor's face--an expression Sam found didn't look quite right when worn by him. Then again, he'd rarely ever witnessed he and his wife interact, so it could just be _him_ thinking it odd.

"I know." Glenn said--a little sheepishly--"but a knock would have been a nice warning."

_that_ sounded like the Janitor.

"Why?" Lady huffed, eying them suspiciously, "You're not doing anything I should be concerned about, _are_ you?"

"O-of course not, Mother-Dearest!" Nigel told her a little too quickly. He winced at his own voice.

Lady didn't seem too convinced, but still she responded, "Uh-huh. Sure. Anyway, who's up for tater-tots?"

For the first time since their arrival, Sam's eyes widened in delight. "I am!" He almost cheered, startling his companions slightly at his sudden mood swing.

Despite her skepticism, Lady half-smiled. She didn't know _why_ the boy was such a gloom cloud, but it was nice to see him brighten up. "Well come on up, they're getting cold!"

Rushing up the stairs, Nigel called over his shoulder at Sam, "I TOLD you my family was the greatest!"

Yeah...." He replied softly, mind filling with memories of the past....a happier time, where his own family--either or, it didn't matter--would gather at the dinner table, like they were about to do now.

Before it all fell apa--

"Hey, Sam." A gruff voice called, rousing him from his thought process, "you comin' or what?"

The blond looked into the eyes of Glenn Matthews, and for a moment, he wished _he_ were his father. Before he told himself how childish that was and pushed the idea from his head.

"Yeah." He repeated, "Yeah I'll be right there!"

_You'll have a family again soon, Sam, I promise._ Nigel thought, pulling a chair out to sit at the dinner table.

"Glenn, dear" Lady called, beckoning him to come over, "would you help me put the food on the table?"

"Lady," He whispered, by her side with three long steps "not in front of Nigel!"

She gave him the look.

"Not _what_ in front of Nigel?"

Another sheepish expression from the Janitor. "Nevermind...."

"That's what I thought." She answered, playfully slapping his shoulder, "now, get the tater tots while I grab the chicken."

* * *

**Come on! You gotta love em!**


	4. Their go time

Nigel let out a groan as he awoke the next morning, then scrunched up his face, eyes still closed, as a sharply poignant stench filled his nostrils. He opened his brown eyes to see...

...A dead squirrel in his face. Coughing overdramatically, he rolled off the couch with a loud THUMP.

A large head poked its way from behind the couch. "Wakey wakey!" Glenn greeted, openly chuckling at his son's startled expression "Ready to go?"

"Not really..." Nigel grumbled, "I kinda just woke up..."

The janitor chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are your mother's son." He mused, "Always one for sleeping in."

"Anyone in their right mind would want to sleep in at this ungodly hour." Nigel groused, but nonetheless stood up, stretching his arms and legs until he heard a satisfying CRACK.

A grimace flickered across the older man's face, but passed instantly.

"Well, son," He said, offering a hand, "today's gonna be filled with....interesting events, so we need to be up early. Now, I'm gonna go find Dorian's kid, and when I get back you'd better be up." He winked. "After all, Nigel this was _your_ idea, remember?"

Sighing, Nigel replied, "I know, I know." He accepted his father's help and grabbed his hand.

A drowsy voice called from the hallways, "Boys...?" followed by a loud yawn, "What're you doin' up so early...?" Lady stood in her pajamas, looking half-asleep.

"Shoot." Glenn muttered to himself, swiveling around to face his wife. "Ah, g'morning, Lady." He greeted, "Sorry if I er, woke ya."

She yawned. "That's....that's alright. Just....Glenn, it's 6:30 _AM_."

Nigel chimed in, "Uh, well... we have... stuff... to do. Time travel stuff. Really sorry for wakin' ya, Mom."

She couldn't help but smile at her son--even if she _was_ half-awake.

Glenn noticed her slight attitude change, and took hold of the opportunity. "If we're off the hook now, Lady, I gotta go get Dorian's kid up. Wouldn't do us any good to leave him here."

Lady's gradual understanding flitted away, replaced by a neutral expression. "Sam? He woke up an hour ago."

Glenn's chest tightened. "He....he did?"

"Yes." His wife confirmed, jerking her thumb to the left. "He's out on the porch. Just sitting there."

Nigel froze for a split-second, before calmly making his way to the door where the porch was. He knew what this was. Whenever Sam "just sat there" it meant he was thinking deeply about something that was probably bothering him.

"Is....is he okay?" Lady asked, picking up her son's odd display of emotion. She may have only known him for a short while, but she already felt as though she'd figured out his character.

"I'm sure Sam's fine, Mom." Nigel half-lied over his shoulder. Opening the door, he peered outside, and sure enough, there was the blonde. "Sam?"

Sam Dorian blinked, but remained facing forward. "Yeah?" He turned; eyes full of a foreign expression. "Oh. Nigel." He forced a slight smile, "didn't know you were up."

"Heh, yeah, wasn't sure I was up either until I fell flat on my face..." Nigel shook his head, "Um, anyway, you okay there, buddy?"

His head fell into a raised hand. "I don't know...." He confessed, sighing."I guess....I guess I'm scared."

He felt like an idiot telling him that. Especially after all Nigel did for him. Even if the Matthews boy would never say it, Sam knew building the time machine had been long, tedious work, and he was surprised his friend hadn't once decided to give up.

_Not to mention risking a test-run by emailing his father_. Sam's consciousness reminded him, which only made the blond sigh further.

"Yeah, well, I would be too, if I had been given the chance to fix everything that was wrong with my life..." Nigel said, sitting down beside the blonde doctor. "...I'd be terrified of screwing up and making it worse. But ya gotta remember, the Nigel-Man is here, what could possibly go wrong?" he grinned widely at Sam.

"Dammit, Nigel" Sam said, his jaw muscles acting against their will, "your grins are contagious." He shook his head. "Alright fine. I'll take your word for it. Everything will be fine."

Still grinning, he stood, entering through the door as Nigel held it open.

_I hope._

Lady raised a brow at the two as they entered. "You two okay?"

Nigel smiled warmly at her. "Yeah. Yeah, Mom. We're fine."

She looked at Sam. "You sure?"

"Yeah." he replied quickly, "I'm sure."

It was then Glenn stepped forward, preventing the conversation from extending. "Look, I know everyone here's a little nervous, but we really gotta go--Dorian's got an early shift and we don't want to miss him."

There he went, mentioning that name again. Dorian. They all had been acting rather strangely when it came to that name. Especially Sam. Though he and Nigel refused to tell her anything other than how important their journey back in time was, Lady couldn't help but have her suspicions.  
_When this is all said and done, I'll see to it Glenn tells me everything_ she thought, watching the man instruct the younger two to get ready. _If not, he can say good-bye to that filthy rodent collection of his._

_Mom has that evil look on her face..._ Nigel thought, barely suppressing a shudder.

He was shaking from his stupor by two large fingers snapping before his face.

"Nigel!" Glenn half-ordered, "now isn't the time to be daydreaming!"

"Yessir!" Nigel saluted, and marched out the door. In a mock British accent, he yanked Sam out with him, "Come along, Noble Steed."

"OW!" Sam cried out, but did nothing to stop the brunette from dragging him along. As they approached the van, Glenn could have sworn he saw the boy clapping his hands together in a Monty Python-like fashion. Laughing to himself in amusement, he proceeded to follow the boys--stopping only to peck his wife on the cheek.  
"I'll be back tonight." He informed her, his voice oddly low. "If I _don't_ come back, you know what to do."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Lady replied with a quick, "I know."

* * *

"I know a song that'll get on your nerves, get on your nerves, I know a song that'll get on your nerves..." Nigel sang to himself just quiet enough for only Sam to hear as he slipped into the van.

"Nigel...." Sam hissed under his breath, "if you don't stop singing I'm going to ram that head of yours into the window!"

Sure that his father wasn't watching, Nigel pouted, complete with arms crossed against his chest. "Man, you're no fun, Sammy boy."

Sam's eyes rolled for what he felt was the umpteenth time. "Says the one who _doesn't_ have their future on the line here."

"Hey!" Nigel protested, "I could very well screw up my future too, y'know!"

"Yeah," Sam shot back, his irritation beginning to show, "I'm sure you--ACK!"

He let out a yelp as he crashed into his friend; Glenn swerving the fan into a parking space from up front. "We're here!" The older man nearly sang, promptly shutting down the vehicle and jumping onto the concrete. "Come on, boys!"

Sam groaned, rubbing his head. "So that's where you get your driving....skills....from." He muttered, still to Nigel, as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Hey, hey," Nigel said with mock-seriousness, "do not mock the driving skills of a man, girlie-boy." He slipped out past Sam out of the van.

"I am NOT a girl!" Sam objected, pointing a finger at the brunette.

Glenn, a good ways away from the boys, abruptly turned at Sam's outburst, and frowned. "'Come on' doesn't mean 'lag behind and bicker'!" He called over his shoulder.

Hiding an almost sad smile, Nigel thought, _From all the stories I've been told of Mr. Dorian, he used to be called a girl all the time..._ he moved to follow his father, glancing over his shoulder at Sam expectantly, _Sam doesn't realize just how alike they really are-- or used to be._


	5. Their critical hour

**I hope this fanfic isn't moving too fast. Because it was an RP, it took longer to write rather than if I wrote it myself, so maybe it just seems longer to me. Anyway, I really like this next chapter. Probably the one scenario from this whole concept I've had floating around in my head before actually getting to play it out.**

**--------------------------------------------------------**

Making their way past the entrance, the Janitor abruptly changed tactics and led the boys into the temporary meeting place of the Braintrust....mainly--the first broom closet he could find. "Alright you two," he began, rummaging around the small room, "today's D-Day. Everything depends on the outcome of this specific moment in time."

Sam gulped, his stomach muscles tightening.

Nigel smirked slightly, rolling his eyes, "Must you be so dramatic, Daddy-dearest?" then, his smirk dissolving, he turned to Sam, "But still, he's right. And I'm gonna help you through all of it."

"Dramatic is my middle name...." Glenn scolded, before pausing. "Actually, it's Francis, but that's besides the point."

Half-regretting it, Sam asked, "really?"

"Nah." Came the reply. "Seriously though." Glenn added, tone back to being well, serious.

Letting out a frustrated groan, Sam's hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. "Can we get back to our 'game plan'?" He inquired, though it was more a demand if anything else.

If it were Dorian himself, the Janitor most likely would have taken offense to the blond's 'request.' However, he wasn't _the_ Dorian, so the older man let it slide, and merely switched back to explaining how their day was going to proceed.

"Here's what you're going to do: When I give the signal, I want you two to casually step out into the hall as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. I've got a list right here--a copy for each of you in case you need to split up--of where Dorian tends to be throughout a typical day, so you shouldn't have trouble finding him."  
Stopping for a moment to listen for any chance someone outside was listening, Glenn continued. "What you _might_ have trouble with are the other doctors."

Suddenly Nigel grimaced as he realized something, "We had a run-in with Mister-- DOCTOR Cox yesterday, he thought we were employees slacking off. How are we supposed to get by him unnoticed?"

Glenn's brow furrowed. "Angry doctor? Hm...." A short silence followed; the older man mulling it over in his head. "Well, you two _are_ dressed like you work here" he glanced at his son "and from what you told me, you do....just not in this time line. _So,_ use it to your advantage." His voice lowered, "just try not to get angry doctor to stick you with a patient. Or in your case, Nigel, fixing something _I'm_ supposed to."

Sam, who had remained quiet for some time, abruptly spoke, "Mr. Matthews.....What if....what if he finds out who we--"  
"He won't." the janitor cut in, "he's not one for the whole space/time thing. But...."

"What?"

"you _might_ want to take off your name tag, Sam."

The blond swore, swiping the piece of plastic from his scrubs top, "I forgot that was there."

Nigel let out a snort of laughter. "That's what you get for not payin' attention, Sammy boy." Then he paused. "Should I take off mine, too, Dad? Does ANYONE-- besides Mom-- know your real name?" _But then again, Matthews isn't that much of an uncommon surname..._

The janitor nodded. "I would--just to me safe. Cox starts getting suspicious, he'll try to look up your records and of course, he won't find any. Best if you two remain anonymous." He turned them, and resumed searching the shelves of the broom closet. After only a moment had passed, Glenn let out a triumphant "ah ha!" before once more facing the boys. "Here," He instructed, handing each one a glossy black walkie-talkie, "take these. We'll use them to communicate."

Sam stared at the black device, his eyebrows knitting into his forehead. "....feel like a friggin FBI agent." He muttered darkly, slipping the machine into his pocket.

"But FBI agents have all the fun!" Nigel twirled the walkie-talkie in his hand. "Thanks Dad! This is really cool...!" Nigel found himself feeling like a giddy teenager again, marveling over a piece of work he'd only seen in James Bond movies.  
_Crap, I sound old..._

"It's only fun unless you're on their watch list." Glenn half-scolded, half-informed, "but that's not important right now." There was an intensity shining in his eyes; chest swelling with pride as his final order to the boys rolled off his tongue. "Track down Dorian. Change the future." He said, opening the door to the bustling hallway that was Sacred Heart, "now go!"

Nigel stumbled out of the closet, then saluted, "Yessir!" Now, it was time to put his highly honed tracking skills to the test.  
He tapped a passerby intern on the shoulder. "Hey, do you know where Dr. Dorian is?"

The younger doctor looked up at the two, as if trying to identify them. "Dr....Dorian?" He echoed, confusion clearly displaying on his face. "Uh, well...."

"_well_ what?" Sam asked, patience wearing thin.

The intern jumped, granting him a look of mild disgust from the blond. _what kind of place is this?_ His thoughts questioned, _no one's that skittish back in my time...._

Nigel furrowed his brows in confusion at the intern. _What's wrong with HIM?_ He glanced at Sam, who clearly was thinking the same thing and shrugged his shoulders slightly. _Could just be the way this guy normally--_

Wait.

"Doug?"

The intern--whom Sam was rapidly suspecting to be a mortician--drew in a sharp breath. "You....you know my name?" He squeaked.

Nigel made to reply, but Sam cut him off--a question of his own tugging at his mind. "What are you doing up here? I thought you worked down in the morgue now?"

Again he squeaked, his eyes wide and not unlike those of a squirrel, "they were uh....short-staffed today and um....I was the only one they could um...." he stopped, then, something about the two catching his eye. "Do I....do I know you two?"

"You could say that." Nigel muttered under his breath, then answered, "Uh, yeah. We work here, too-- obviously, I mean. We've seen you around."

"O-oh." Doug sputtered, still clearly confused, "well....okay then." His fearful expression dropped, face now somewhere between neutral and trying to smile. "It's nice to meet other people. That work here I mean."

"Yeah." Sam agreed, eyes darting around the hallway warily, "now, Doug....about Dr. Dorian."

The mortician-turned-intern jumped, embarrassed. "What? Oh....yeah....

There was another pause before Doug blurted, "I think he's in the lounge. It was really hectic this morning, so I wouldn't blame him for taking a short rest. 'Cuz, you know Dr. D, he always has to be up-and-at-'em for his patients! I wouldn't be suprised if he's waking up right now."

Nodding, Nigel said, "Thanks, Pee-Pan-- Doug."

Unlike his friend, Sam made no reply; his eyes fixated down the hall--the direction he knew the lounge to be. Without waiting for Nigel, he headed towards the location....where finally, after nearly fourteen years, he'd be able to meet his father face to face.

Jogging slightly to catch up to his friend, Nigel told him quietly, "Listen, Sam," he fixed the blonde with a serious brown gaze, "don't do anything irrational. I know what your father did wasn't the best answer to his problems, but at the time his mind was so messed up that he thought it was. Now, however, he's still the happy man who will welcome you with open arms. We have to keep him that way."

Jogging slightly to catch up to his friend, Nigel told him quietly, "Listen, Sam," he fixed the blonde with a serious brown gaze, "don't do anything irrational. I know what your father did wasn't the best answer to his problems, but at the time his mind was so messed up that he thought it was. Now, however, he's still the happy man who will welcome you with open arms. We have to keep him that way."

"Trust me, Nigel," Sam muttered, turning a corner "I have every intention of _keeping him that way_." The words were sharp, quick--immitating his eye movement as he searched for the right door.

Nigel sighed wearily, dreading whatever was about to be thrown their way, "Alright, Sam, I trust you." As they turned the corner, he spotted the door to the lounge and his face brightened, "Ah! There it is!"

Sam froze, gaze locked on--or perhaps staring through--the door.  
_This is it_ he told himself, stepping forward and grasping the handle. He swallowed, the saliva thick traveling down his throat. It was now or never.

With a click, the door opened; it's dimmed interior suddenly filled with the bright light of the hall.

A soft groan graced Sam's ears, and for a moment, he stopped breathing.

Nigel's heart skipped a beat, and he grinned widely. Finally, they were going to start with the real task of their mission. Stepping in, he took a deep breath, then: "HEY DR. DORIAN!" his voice boomed around the room.

"AGH!!!!" A scream was the reply, followed by several gasps of air and a shaky "I-I was just getting back to work! I'm not late for my shift!"

Though the presence of his father's voice tore at the blond's heart, Sam scoffed, and switched on the light. "We're not here to talk about your work, Da--Dr. Dorian."

"You're....your're not?"

Sam shook his head, following the voice to it's speaker. Sure enough, his father was sitting on one of the on-call beds, panic from his startling awakening still present but rapidly fading from his face.

"Nope-nope." Nigel chirped, trying to keep his face obscured slightly in shadows to make sure that Mr. Dorian wouldn't recognize his father in his somehow. "You're not in trouble. We just wanna... talk to ya.

A quizzical look crossed his face, "talk to me?" He asked, eyes shifting from Sam to Nigel, "Why? Look, if this is about the whole "eagle" thing with Turk, I already told Dr. Cox it was--"

"Would you just listen?" Sam interjected, stepping forward. He tried to keep his tone distant--professional. "We'll explain everything. Just....just...." his voice trailed off.

"Sam." Nigel said, his voice gaining an edge to it. He grasped the blonde's shoulder, before freezing. SHIT, he'd stepped into the light where his face was clearly visible. There was no way Mr. Dorian wouldn't recognize him now...

"You...." JD began, slowly rising to his feet, "you look familiar...."

Sam's furrowed brow deepened. "Nigel, you _idiot_."

JD's gaze shifted to his son, "You look like I've seen you somewhere, too." He glanced down at Sam's scrubs. "....you work here?"

It took everything in Sam's power not to face-palm in shame.

Barely suppressing a sigh of relief, Nigel said, "Yeah, we do. Sa-- my friend here is an intern, and I'm a handyman." He grinned in a friendly way. He held out a hand as if he wanted JD to shake it. "John Dorian, if I'm not mistaken? Just wanna make sure." Without waiting for a response, he put his hand back down. "I'm Nigel."

_Coward._ Nigel called himself as he deliberately baited Sam to introduce himself, so he wouldn't have to.

Sam barely registered what his friend had done when JD turned to _him_ curiously. "And you are....?"

Sam's eyes widened as his father extended a handd. "I...." The blond croaked, fending off the rush of emotions he knew were threatening to break free, "I'm Sam." He said to the hand, though still refused to grasp it.

Noticing this, but never one to pry, JD abandoned the handshaking and instead grinned at the younger men. "Nice to meet you guys!" He chirped--perhaps a little _too_ enthusiastically, "Now....what can I do for you?" Sam opened his mouth, but JD quickly added, "unless this whole 'wake JD up' thing was just a plan assigned to you by the Janitor."

This time, Sam allowed himself the face palm, out of place though it may have seemed.

Nigel's mad grin threatened to split his face in half. "Nah, the Janitor didn't send us." Okay, in a way, that was a lie, and calling his father 'the Janitor' felt odd on his tongue, Nigel added to himself. "We just... ah... well..." Dammit, how was he supposed to say this? _Hi, I'm Nigel Matthews, the son of your worst enemy who hasn't even been born yet! And this is my friend Sam Dorian, your son! We've come here from the future to stop you from committing suicide!_

Heeeeell no.

"He....didn't send you?" JD asked slowly, before breaking into a huge sigh of relief "Oh good. The last thing I need right now is him stalking me. Already enough to deal with--what with all my patients....And Dr. Cox breathing down my neck." A pallid look crossed his face, and Sam jumped. His father looked exhausted, despite waking up from a nap.

"You know," The blond said in an undertone of caution, "you don't _have_ to take on so much." He paused, eyes hardening, "it wouldn't _kill_ you to let someone else handle things for once."

The word 'kill' almost choked him, the inner battle against his emotions rapidly failing.

Even worse, JD did nothing more then smile, accompanied by a nonchalent shrug. "Oh you silly intern." He mock scolded, chuckling to himself, "nothing's too much for the JDizzle!"

_Sonuvabitch!_ Sam's mind screamed.

"Sam..." Nigel hissed quietly at him, then whipped his head back to continue grinning at JD, "Great! But, seriously, Dr. Dorian, my friend has a point. If anything gets too much for you at all-- _it doesn't matter if anyone thinks less of you,_ seriously, call it a day and hand the work off to someone else." As an afterthought, "Or better yet, TALK to someone about it."

He didn't realize until seconds after the words left his mouth that he probably said too much.

JD stopped laughing. "What....what are you talking about? Why would I...."

"Why would you _what?!_" Sam suddenly snapped, sending his father staggering back in surprise "_Talk_ to someone?!" He shrieked, pent up emotions unable to hold any longer, "What the _hell_ do _you_ think, dad?! You're so damn stubborn you think you could handle it! Handle every damn thing that came your way! But....but...." his voice cracked, sending the blond back into silence.

Wide eyed and slightly shaken from the abrupt outburst, JD fell back onto the bed. "Did you...." He inquired hoarsely, "did you just call me 'dad'?" His gaze darted from Sam, to Nigel, then back to Sam again. When the blond showed no signs he'd been kidding in any way--indeed, he looked rather terrified, JD asked, "Who....who _are_ you two?"

Hands clenching at his sides, one word passed through Sam Dorian's mind. _Shit_.

_Dammit, Sam!_ Nigel thought frantically, though he knew he was to blame as well. _This is NOT going as well as I'd hoped..._ "Look, Dr. Dorian..." Nigel took a cautious step forward, gently placing a hand on JD's shoulder to keep him still. His face was stonily serious as he went on, which kind looked out of place considering the words that left his mouth: "Do you believe in time travel?"

JD blinked. "Time travel?" He echoed, searching the young brunette's face to see if he was in fact, as serious as he seemed to be. When Nigel didn't flinch, JD turned to Sam, who continued to stare at him with a scared expression. A small lump formed in his throat; an eerie sensation coming over him. "I...." He started, surprised that the two men seemed to be dead set on an answer, "I don't see why not."

_If this weren't real, I'd think he was insane..._ "That's... a relief." Nigel almost breathed the words out, as it truly was a relief. A huge one. "Because, if you didn't... this would be much more difficult for us."

The dark-haired doctor laughed nervously. "What....what are you talking about?"

He was slowly, but surely, catching on to the 'time travel' bit. Didn't mean this was going to be any easier.

"I...." Sam began, high pitched and clearly uncomfortable. He shot a pleading glance at his friend, as if to say, 'I can't do this.' He hated himself for it; after waiting so long and coming this far....but to come right out and reveal himself....he just couldn't go through with it. 'I'm your son' were not three words Sam Dorian was about to say.

Nigel studied Sam's face, then nodded slowly. _Damn, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do be the one to explain this._ "We're from the future. I am Nigel Matthews." Might as well be blunt about it. He decided not to mention who his father was until later. He gestured towards Sam. "And this is Sam Dorian-- your son. I'm not joking." He bit his bottom lip tightly, dreading the worst of reactions.

JD stared at them, Nigel's words ringing in his ears like a broken record. The blond was his....son? That was impossible. He seemed so....so distraught. So angry. It wasn't right for a Dorian child to act as such.

Yet....

"S-Sammy?" JD whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The blond--Sam--flinched, his brow furrowing. Inwardly, JD grimaced.

"Don't call me that." Sam alleged curtly, his eyes blazing with something unknown. "It's just 'Sam.'"

Unsure whether to be pleased or just plain confused, JD did the only thing anyone faced with time travel does. He continued to ask questions.

"Why....why are you guys here? I mean....don't get me wrong, it's great to see you all grown up--though I _am_ a little surprised about your hair, Sam. Was kinda hoping you'd be a 'chip off the ol' block' if ya know what I mean."

His son scoffed. "Hope my ass. My hair's the one thing that makes me different than you. At least," he added quietly, "it's the difference _other_ people see."

Though Nigel knew Sam was too strong to have a breakdown or anything of the sort at a time like this, his brow creased in concern and worry. "He got the blonde hair from Kim." Nigel told JD quietly, not quite sure of what else to say.

"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense." No longer alarmed, JD's posture relaxed slightly, his head tilting to the side, "seriously though, why did you guys come back?"

Sam's stomach clenched, and for a moment, he wanted to bail. _Don't even think about it!_ his thoughts scolded, _You're back in time because of something that happened in your life, so man up already!_ Taking a deep breath, he knew the voice in his head was right. Even if he knew what was about to happen was gonna be one hell of a conversation.

"Dad...." Sam started, "We came back because....because of you. Because of something you did." A pause, "Something we need to change."

JD quirked an eyebrow. "That bad?" He laughed. "Come on, Sam! That's ridiculous! What would _I_ ever--"

"This isn't funny, dammit! You ruined my life!"

The laughter died. "I....I did?"

"Yes." Nigel said, putting his two cents in the conversation. "I hate to say it, but you did, Mr. Dorian. You... you..." he struggled for words. How should he put this? Mr. Dorian certainly wasn't thinking those kind of thoughts-- yet-- how was he supposed to believe them?

"...you committed suicide."  
There. The bomb had been dropped. Time to see the damage.


	6. Their typical Dorian

…**.I probably should have said this earlier, but I apologize to anyone who's irritated by Sam Dorian. He seems a bit bi-polar….but in his defense, it isn't his fault. Go read the one-shot "My father's image" for a better explanation.**

**Anyway, on to the next chapter!**

**---------------------------**

Silence; the weight of Nigel's words hitting JD like a ton of bricks. "I...." He squeaked, still in shock, "....I did?"

No. No that couldn't be true! He....he was Dr. John Dorian. He loved life--loved everything and everyone. Never in a million years would he EVER consider doing something like that....

He felt sick. The thrill of his 'future' experience had morphed into some kind of nightmare. One he wasn't sure he believed.

"You can't be serious!" he found himself screaming, in a voice that didn't sound like his own, "this has to be some kind of joke!"

"It's not a joke!" Sam, having been silent for some time, shot back, "you killed yourself, Dad!"

"Calm down!" Nigel thundered in a voice that sounded almost scarily like his father's, "Screaming at each other won't solve a damn thing!"

JD's voice died, however, it didn't stop the darker-haired doctor's staggered breathing.

Sam resumed glaring at his father.

"There is no joke." Nigel said in a voice he didn't even know he could make. It was... it was his father's voice. That was all he could make of it. "Do you think someone would be _stupid_ enough to joke about _suicide_?" This was directed at JD, the words scathing. "No. Not us, anyway. You must listen to us; we're telling the truth. When Sam was a young kid, you committed suicide. Life got too much for you-- damn it, I should have brought the suicide note... even without it, you have to listen." A note of desperation entered his voice, "You have to _believe._"

JD flinched at the tone in the younger brunette's voice. Not only was it scarily low, but scarily....familiar.  
He'd have to worry about that later....there were currently more important matters at stake.

"He's right, dad." Sam added, leaning against the wall. "We're not kidding. You _did_ fucking kill yourself. And....and no one....e-ever recovered." His gaze turned to his father; trying to interpret his reaction.

"....how old were you?"

What?

"....when I....how old were you, Sam?"

Tears he swore he'd never shed began forming in Sam Dorian's eyes, memories he'd long tried to block out flooding to the surface. "T-Ten." He murmured, before looking away.

"Ten." Nigel confirmed, "He... he was never the same." He locked his gaze on Sam. "When you look at his eyes long enough..." His brown gaze was intense, "...you can see the haunted look. I never got used to it."

Swallowing hard, JD stood, tentatively approaching his tortured son. "Sam...." He said, clasping the blond's shoulder, "I....I'm sorry."

The younger Dorian flinched under his father's grasp, then shrugged the hand away. "If you were really sorry, you wouldn't have done in." He croaked.

"Sam, come off it!" Nigel shouted suddenly, finally having had enough. "He hasn't done it yet!" His jaw was clenched tightly as he suppressed the urge to yell, "If he says he's sorry now he means it!"

"Oh fuck off!" Sam shrieked, whirling around, "how the hell can you say something like that!? You think this is easy for me?! Do you?!" He was breathing harder now, waving an accusing finger at his friend, "Your dad knew more about my father than almost anyone else, remember that?! He was the first one to read the damned suicide note! The first one to realize that nothing my father said to anyone else was true! So don't fucking pretend you know a damn thing about me or my dad!"

Watching the two younger men fight put JD in an odd position. On the one hand, he wanted to root for Nigel--he seemed to be the only one who could tell the difference between the 'now' JD and the 'future' JD. On the other hand, he could see where Sam was coming from.

"Well that's great." He muttered sarcastically to himself "the first time anyone's fought over me in years and it's by a couple of younger guys."

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Nigel said almost breathlessly, "He's _not_ that person now, Sam." He breathed in a shaky breath. This... was going badly, for lack of a better phrase. "He's never going to be him, now. This isn't the same man you last saw."

"He's right, Sam." JD cut in, finished with his self-conversation. "I'd never do that."

"No! You--"

"I know. I know. But I bet I never considered any long term repercussions, did I? Sam, if I knew then how much everyone....how much you'd suffer, just because of me....I wouldn't have the guts to go through with it." He stopped, looking the blond straight in the eye, "You have to believe me. Just like I believed you two about coming back in time."

For a time, Sam made no reply; just stood there, eyes fixated on the wall; letting JD's words sink in.

Nigel watched him cautiously. When Sam said nothing for a while, he remembered something. "Mr. Dorian?" He said quietly, leaning towards the doctor. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, sure Nigel. Ask away."

"...What would you say if I told you my father was the Janitor?"

"I'd say two things." JD replied. "First of all: I can't get the image of the Janitor 'getting it on' out of my head." He shivered. "No offense. And second, it makes sense why you sounded familiar when you got so angry. Though I've never seen the Janitor THAT mad before." He shuddered again, "hope I never do."

Nigel smiled. "I didn't expect you to take this so well. I thought you'd run off screaming or something."

He laughed. "well....Once you told me who Sam was, I tried figuring out who's kid YOU were." He shrugged. "Sam said your dad was the first to read my....you know. I dunno....the janitor prying through my stuff came to mind." He smiled back at the boy. "No offense."

Nigel's smile only grew wider, "None taken. I do the same thing with Sam." And he was unashamed of it.

"_He's_ the 'chip off the old block." Sam chimed in. "Acts just like his father."

JD's smile brightened to hear the lighter tone in Sam's voice. Not genuinely happy, perhaps, but better than before. "I figured that by the whole 'handy man' thing." He gave Nigel a light punch on the arm.

Nigel laughed a little, "Yep! My sister's just like my mom, too." His expression grew thoughtful. "In fact, the kids of a lot of the people you know now are like their parents, at least a little..." he chuckled, "Jack Cox, for instance."

"Awww!" JD squealed, "I knew little Coxy would take after Perry!"

The sides of Nigel's mouth twitched upwards. "Jack's not so little anymore. In fact, he's friggin' huge. He _is_ nicer than Mr. Cox," _At least, that's the impression I get, since I've never really met his dad..._ "Just... uh... don't get him angry. He gets ranty."

"I second that." Sam said. "Jack's a bit eccentric....but he knows how to go "Coxian", that's for sure."

"How could he not?" Nigel asked, laughing, "He's the son of Per--"

The door creaked open, a gruff, annoyed voice sounding from within the doorway, "What the heee-eeell is goin' on in here?!"

_Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

Father and son jumped nearly a foot in the air.  
"D-Dr. Cox!" JD cried, "I was just...."

"Don't care. Don'tcaredon'tcaredon'tcare.\" Came the inevitable response. "Just get your ass back to work, Shakira." Dr. Cox's blue eyes blazed like fire and Nigel found himself shrinking back a little. This action caused the older (by a longshot) man's gaze to snap towards him. "Who the hell are YOU?"

Nigel sputtered, "U-u-um..." now he knew why his father always called him 'Angry Doctor.'

"We're uh....new interns." Sam managed. As comfortable as he was around Jack, it had been quite a few years since he'd had an actual conversation with Dr. Cox. "Nigel's the uh, handyman in training and I'm um....a new medical doctor."

"Feh." Dr. Cox scoffed, "Intern. Even a janitor intern. God hates me, doesn't he?" he shooed JD out the door, "Get back to work! In fact, skip away! _Skip, skip, skip to my loo._" He turned to Sam, the sneer dissolving off his face as he hesitated to chase him off to get back to 'work', "...You look familiar, kid." He said with an almost thoughtful expression.

Nigel gulped, "He's, uh... Dr. Dorian's cousin."

That didn't have the effect he hoped it would. The sneer returned even worse than before, "THAT explains my sudden urge to call you Newbie #2." Dr. Cox snarled, "NOW GET THE HELL BACK TO WORK. You used way more than your fair share of hair-braiding time."

"Up yours, Coxie" Sam muttered, half shoving past the older man as he followed his father out the door.

Nigel cringed.

"EXCUSE me?!" Dr. Cox roared, roughly pulling Sam back towards him.

_Oh shit_ he thought, gagging as Perry pulled him back. "L-Look," Sam tried, appalled to hear himself stutter, "I uh....didn't mean it! I was uh....It's um...."

"Ahem?" The sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard and Nigel's head shot around to look at the new person. It was obviously feminine. The woman was obviously a nurse, with wavy, curl black hair--

--holy crap _Carla_? Carla who looked mightily _pissed off_? "Dr. Cox, honestly. Can you NOT terrify the new guys on their first day?"

The redheaded man scowled at her, but grudgingly let go of his grip on Sam. "Ghrrr." Was his only response, and he promptly... fled.

Carla Espinosa-Turk was a scary woman when angered.

"Are you alright?" The Latina nurse asked, fixing Sam's collar--a far too familiar action. Sam blushed, embarrassed.  
"Yeah." he replied.

Nigel smiled widely. "Thanks for saving us there, nurse."

Carla glanced at him, nodded, then looked away-- before her head turned right back around to look at him. Her dark eyes widened a little. "Oh..." she peered at him, "...I feel like I know you from somewhere. Or you at least look like someone I know."

Nigel drew a blank. "Um..."

"SAM?!" JD cried, skidding to a stop in front of the door, "Are you--?!" His frantic speech sputtered to a stop when he spotted the two time travelers with Carla.

"Um....hi there Bambi."

"H-hi Carla." JD fumbled, trying to disguise he'd been sprinting down the hallway. "I uh, thought I heard a cry for help...."

Sam laughed, a little awkwardly. "Yeah well, _Dr. Dorian_, big bad Coxie was taken down by Carla here."

"Bambie." Carla stated, eyes fixated on the younger men, "who did you say your friends were?"

JD cringed. "Uh....well, Carla, these two are...."

Watching the unwanted scenario unfold, a few choice words were racing through Sam's mind. _Oh crap! Not her too! Are we that transparent?!_

"T-t-this is my friend Sam Dorian-- Dr. Dorian's _cousin,_" Sam cursed himself for putting the 'unneeded' emphasis on the last word, "and I'm Nigel M-Matthews. Nice to meet you..." he pretended to glance at her nametag, "...Nurse Espinosa."

Carla stared at him for a few seconds. When she finally spoke again, there was something odd in her voice, "It's nice to meet you two, Sweetie."

Nigel almost laughed. Carla had always called him Sweetie in his time. Then he realized he should be wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He concluded that he had no freaking clue.

"Well, uh, Nurse Espinoza," Sam piped up, inching back towards the door, "Nigel and I really need to get back to work so...." He threw a silent 'let's get out of here' at his friend, "....we'll see you later!" He promptly bolted out the door.

After a good two minute of dodging doctors and sprinting around corners, Sam came to a halt, leaning up against an out of the way door.

"okay....Nigel...." he huffed, "I think we've overstayed our welcome."

"you've done more than that," a familiar voice cut in, "you got angry doctor storming down the icu, yellin' at all those li'l interns."

"Dad!" Nigel cried, turning to look at his father. "We-- um... sorry?" he tried weakly.

The janitor held up a finger, silencing his son. "Appologies not necessary. I would'a done the same thing later on."

"Greeeeeat" JD muttered dryly, before realizing just who he was talking to and abruptly closed his mouth.

Noticing the action, Glenn said simply, "I'll let that one slide, Dorian, because of the kids. But I'm watching you." His eyes narrowed--though Sam thought he noticed a hint of playfulness behind them, "_Always_ watching you."

Nigel couldn't help it. He laughed. Seeing his father interact with Mr. Dorian was funnier than hell.

Sam cracked a half-grin at the older men; watching them act so freely....it gave Sam hope for the first time since his arrival that maybe....maybe his father was going to listen to him. Maybe he wouldn't kill himself.

As these and a few other thoughts passed through the younger Dorian's mind, Glenn switched subjects. "alrighty kids," he started, switching to a subtle southern accent, "I think it's time you high tail it out of here. Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened with Scar Nurse, right?" He looked at the two suspiciously.

Nigel gave him a mock-salute. "No, sir!" His trademark grin was nearly blinding, and for the first time that day his brown eyes were genuinely alight with life. There was hope. He knew that there was always hope; but he was only human, he had some doubts. Now he was pretty darn close to being 100 percent certain that this mission would end the way it was meant to....

"To your place then, Mr. Dorian?" ...That said man would stay alive to watch his son grow.

JD offered a grin of his own, "You got it, Nigel ol' boy!" he exclaimed in a cockney accent, stomping down the hall.  
"Dad...."

He turned, "Ay?"

_resist the face palm...._ Sam begged himself _resist the face palm...._ "the hospital exit is _that_ way." He jerked his thumb behind him.

Glenn's upper lip curled into a slight 'I-saw-that-coming' smile. "Typical Dorian."

Nigel sniggered. This was way too fun to be allowed. "C'mon, Mr. Dorian," he said in a voice as if speaking to a child as he walked a bit _too_ slowly towards the hospital exit, "THIS way." His brown eyes twinkled as he glanced at JD over his shoulder.

"Careful, son," Glenn added, wearing an even larger smirk then before, "you don't want to confuse him."

"I get it I get it!" JD cried, throwing up his hands. He sounded angry--even stormed past the father and son as they continued pestering him--but even Sam couldn't miss the childlike gleam in his eye; something the younger Dorian hadn't seen since he was small.

"alright guys," Sam mock-scolded, proceeding to follow JD "I think he's learned his lesson."

Chuckling, Nigel followed suit. "You still ride that ridiculous scooter, Mr. Dorian?" he asked slyly, "What was it's name again? Sunny? Sally? Sindy? Sandy? STUPIDFACE?"

"It's 'Sasha'" JD corrected, wincing "and no. Your dad destroyed it!"

"I did not!" Glenn protested. "Okay I did, I lied. But, as you know, Dorian, I never act unjustly. Your scooter suffered on account of something _you_ did to _me_."

"What?! That is so--"

Glenn's eyes widened, and he bent forward, "I. speak. the truth."

JD jumped.

Nigel hid his laugh behind his hand, "Daddy Dearest is never wrong, Mr. Dorian."

Sam looked up at the sky, not trusting himself to keep a straight face if he looked at his father, "hate to say it, dad, but Nigel's right. Mr. Matthews _is_ always right."

"Hmph," JD grumbled, I bet you're just saying tha--" he stopped, eyes lighting up suddenly. "Matthews...." he murmured, something dawning on him. "You!" he pointed to Nigel, "you said your last name was Matthews earlier...." He cast an ecstatic smile at the Janitor, "Your last name is Matthews!"

Glenn tried his best to imitate 'the look' as he turned towards his son, "you told him our last name?"

Suddenly feeling very cold, Nigel said lamely, "U-um... I hadn't planned to tell him who my father was until way later... but then it just... slipped my mind?"

"Uh-_huh_." He replied, crossing his arms, "I--"

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Sam interrupted, "I thought you _wanted_ to get to know my father bet--"

"I never said that." Glenn corrected, shaking his head, "I _said_ I was going to let him know he wasn't alone so he wouldn't get all depressed like he did in _your_ future and off himself."

_Way to be blunt_, Sam thought, bitterness from his past having yet to disappear completely.

JD, however, was thinking anything but that. "You...." he stammered, eyes growing rounder than even the roundest bouncy ball, "you were in on this too?"

Nigel rolled his eyes, "Of course he was. He's my DAD."

Previous suspicion gone, Glenn shook his son by the shoulder, proudly, "but it was _his_ idea to come back in the first place. Is he a genius or what?"

JD looked at Sam, who merely shrugged. "Yeeeeah." The older Dorian replied, slowly, "a real genius."

"My dad's the one who started the timetravel machine in the first place, so it's all HIS fault." Nigel said mock-accusingly, pointing at his father. The edges of his mouth twitched upwards, "But I will not deny his claim that I am a genius."

"Just take his word for it." Sam muttered, a sarcastic tone in his voice. Looking quickly over his shoulder, he added, changing subjects, "where the heck is your car, dad?"

A snort followed by a 'whoops' came from Glenn. "It's over here," he pointed, directing JD's gaze towards an extra large dumpster. "Got bored waiting for you three inside."

Nigel blinked, his expression incredulous, "Dude, Dad, you put a car in a DUMPSTER?"

Smile as wide as a Cheshire cat, his father answered "Impressive, eh?"

JD frowned. "How are you gonna get it out?"

"Out? What, you crazy? Thought we could all just stand and admire it for a bit." He chuckled, slapping JD on the back. "Relax Dorian, I've got it all figured out."

"I shoulda known..." Nigel mumbled. He really should have... He tensed as he heard footsteps behind them.

"Bambi?" Nigel's eyes went wide. "The Janitor's not bothering you AGAIN is he?"

"Dammit," Sam whispered to his friend, "not her again."

Swiveling around to greet her, JD put on his most convincing face, "Carla! Hi!" He waved, straightening his position. "What are....uh....fancy meeting you out here!"

"That the best you can do?" the Janitor challenged, half amused, half in disbelief.

JD jabbed his arm with his own.

There was an odd knowing look in Carla's eyes, the kind she had when she knew something everyone else didn't. With that look was a curiosity, one that Nigel feared. Mrs. Espinosa-Turk, he remembered, was dangerous when she wanted to find something out.

Carla's dark gaze flitted between the four men. "I don't really know what's going on," she said slowly, sounding frighteningly like Lady the day before, "but you can be damn sure that I'm going to find out. Eventually."

Nigel swallowed.

It took everything JD had not to cave under the nurse's glare. "O-okay Carla...." he managed, inching away from her, "good luck with that...."

The latina woman's eyes narrowed; her gaze like superman's x-ray vision.  
_so_ that's _where_ Izzy gets it. Sam speculated, noticing his father's subtle step from the corner of his eye. While that bossy attitude made him fall for her daughter, when _Carla_ went brought it about, she was downright scary. They needed to get away--she was way too close for comfort.


	7. Their cullinary disaster

"That was way too close". JD said, breathing a sigh of relief, as he watched the front doors close behind Carla. "We gotta be more careful next time." Somehow or other, they'd managed to convince her nothing was in fact, out of the norm, and that she had no need to worry. He wasn't sure how strongly she believed them, but it was enough to bide them some time and slip into the Janitor's van.

Sam merely nodded, still filled with an unusual exhilaration. True, Carla was on their case, and dr Cox almost strangled him....but Sam was having far more fun then he'd ever remembered in the past.

It wasn't until the Janitor spoke that his amusement came to a halt.

"About that...." he said, no doubt revering to JDs previous statement, "I don't think it's safe for you kids to stay here much longer."

"What?" Nigel exclaimed. No, no way! They couldn't leave so soon!

It was moment's like these where Glenn was glad he was sitting up front; unable to see the startled look in his son's eyes. Gripping the steering wheel as if it were a squirrel, the Janitor murmured "I'm sorry Nigel....Sam....but you" he ignored the tight feeling in his chest, "....you don't belong here."

Crammed between both boys, JD didn't trust himself to look at either of them. Though the janitor spoke the truth--harsh as it was--it was clear to both older men that Sam and Nigel did not want to leave.

Truth be told, JD didn't want them to either.

"But... can't we at least make sure that Mr. Dorian won't...?" Nigel trailed off, at a loss for words. He really wanted to see everyone he knew in his time as how they used to be, and he wasn't quite ready to get back to a future that would be definitely different so quickly after arriving. Maybe Dr. Cox would still be alive...

...He thought of the crushed expression Jack had worn when he had receieved the news of his father's death, and prayed that Dr. Cox would live.

Truth be told, he was now looking for any reason or excuse to stay.

"Look uh....Mr. "Matthews"" JD said slowly, "It....it wouldn't hurt to take the boys back to my uh, home for a bit, right? Just so they can uh...." he couldn't believe he was vouching for the time travelers--and against the Janitor no less. "....just so I can spend more time with my son?" Changing the end of his original sentence, he caught Sam's sharp head turn from the corner of his eye. _looks like underneath all that anger, he really_ did _love me._

Up front, Glenn sighed. That last question stung. _I know what you're doing Dorian,_ he thought, risking a glance through the overhead mirror, _you're trying to hang on to this chance. Cuz you're scared._ He chuckled to himself, leaning further back in his seat, "well, so am I." He finished aloud.

Confused at his father's words, Nigel said, "What?" then quickly amended himself, "I-I mean, that's a great idea Mr. Dorian!" he said perhaps a bit too cheerily.

Nearly ten years of practicing his emotionless front aided Sam in resisting the urge to squirm uncomfortably. He didn't know _what_ the Janitor meant, but there was something....something 'unjanitorly' about it. He opened his mouth to ask the older man, but his father cut him off.

"Then it's settled," he replied, either missing or ignoring the false enthusiasm in Nigel's previous statement, "you tw--_three_--can come over to my place for dinner. No one's home, so you won't get uh, exposed."

That struck Sam a bit odd. "No one?" He asked, "not even Elliot?"

The happiness the older Dorian expressed moments ago evaporated a fraction. "No," he answered quickly. "She's working late again."

Nigel bit his lip. "I see." He gave a friendly grin, "Well, ya won't be alone tonight, that's 'fer sure!"

Sam nodded, and JD brightened. "Thanks guys." He said, throwing an arm around each of them.

"Hey! Don't get all sappy on my son!" Glenn warned, causing the older Dorian to jump and release Nigel.

Nigel laughed, leaning back into his seat, feeling relieved.

He was sure that now, even if they didn't stay as long as he wanted to, that the time they did spend would be interesting.

* * *

"Here we are!" JD cried, unlocking the door to his home, "come on in!" Stripping his coat from his back, he threw it on the couch--to be folded later.

Wide-eyed with childhood memories, Sam hung back.

Nigel hung back with Sam, "Hey, man." He said softly, nudging his friend gently, "You okay?"

The blond hesitated, staring blankly into the room. So many things had happened over the years in that house--more bad than good--it was hard to look inside and see what once was. "Just...." Sam said quietly, "....just give me a minute."

Nigel nodded, and called to JD, "Hey! Mr. Dorian! You still got Rowdy?"

"Of course!" He answered, suddenly rushing to his bedroom. With a grunt, followed by a few 'ows' JD emerged, carrying a large, stuffed, lab. "Technically," he said, setting down the dog, "this is Steven--Turk's got the original Rowdy. But I call him Rowdy when Turk's not here."

Off to the side, the Janitor was dually taking things down in a small notebook.

Nigel stifled his laughter as he saw what his father was doing, and responded with, "Oh really now? Cool. I've met Rowdy..."

Now wearing a serious face, JD asked earnestly, "has he been a good boy? In the future, I mean. Sometimes Turk can get a bit sloppy with his training."

"He _would_ be the first thing you ask about in the future, wouldn't he?"

JD straigthened, "Oh, Sam. Where'd you come from?"

The blond shook his head, rolling his eyes while trying to suppress the smirk fighting to form on his face.

Nigel gave a mock-serious nod, "Oh, yes. He's a very well-behaved dead doggy." He glanced at Sam with a 'HA-you're-dad's-even-weirder-than-MINE' look.

Sam glared back 'at least mine isn't scribbling down blackmail over there' his eyes silently replied.

Nigel scowled half-heartedly in response. "What time is Elliot getting back?"

Throwing a glance at the clock, JD shrugged. "I don't know. Around 11 I guess."

Sam winced.

"Does... she usually come home so late?" Nigel inquired almost sadly.

JD quirked an eyebrow, "Um....not....always...." he gave Nigel a funny look, "why?"

Nigel smiled, though his eyes did not match it, "Nothing."

"Oooookay!" Glenn interrupted, clapping his hands--notebook included--together, "how about we get something cooked up, huh?" He turned to the younger men, "you boys hungry?"

"Uh....now that you mention it," Sam replied, replacing his previous wary expression with one of embarrasment, "yeah I am."

Glenn swiveled his gaze, "how 'bout you Nigel?"

A sharp growl sounded from Nigel's stomach and he chirped, "Yuppers! Starving!"

Glenn smirked, in the way only a janitor can. "Excellent!" He cackled, switching to a more "appropriate" tone, "come, Igor-Dorian! to the kitchen." Without so much as a squeak, he grabbed JD by the back collar, and dragged him into the next room.

Sam loked on, before exploding in ridiculous laughter. "And you say _my_ dad is weirder than _your dad?"_

Nigel blushed in embarrassment. "Shaddup." He grumbled. "I happened to learn all I know from him!" _Which explains a lot..._

"Heh, lucky you." He tried to keep it lighthearted, but couldn't prevent a tone of bitterness from stinging his words. He gave Nigel a light punch, in attempts to cover it up, before migrating towards the couch and falling into it.

Either Nigel didn't hear the bitterness or chose to ignore it, because he rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, yes. I am oh-sooo lucky."

"Har har, Captain sarcastic." Sam shot, twisting around to look at his friend. He shook his head, "seriously, one of these days _you're_ the one who's gonna be laughing maniacally." He half-smiled, leaning forward on the head of the couch. "just don't think for a second I'm gonna let you yank me around like that." His head nudged in the direction of the kitchen, from which several yelps and the clanging of pots and pans could be heard.

"I have no doubt that I am perfectly capable of laughing crazily, Sammy boy." Nigel said sarcastically. "So can you." He jumped a little at the sounds coming from the kitchen.

"Hey!" Glenn shouted above the noise, "you guys mind eating on half-plates?"

'half plates?' _what did they do, break all the others?_

"Uh....sure! No problem!" Sam responded, equally as loud.

"What Sammy boy said!" Nigel called back.  
His father really was insane, but he didn't really care.

"Alright! Two half-plates it is!" Glenn's voice disappeared again amidst the clutter, and once more, yelps, groans, and more crashing was heard.

At this point, Sam really _was_ starting to fear for his father's safety. _Screw killing himself in the future_ he thought _the way things are going in there he's probably going to die now...._

Abruptly, the kitchen clammer ceased.

"This has been a weird night." Nigel said suddenly, craning his neck to try and peer into the kitchen from his seat.

It was then the Janitor decided to poke his head out, and greet his son, "Nigel! Fantastic!" He hinted at the door with his head, "Could ya come over here and help bring out the food? Dorian's trapped under that silverware drawer...." he blinked, "actually, you might wanna go help him. I'll get the food."

Sighing, Nigel stood, "Yes, dad." He lumbered into the kitchen, suddenly feeling tired. He glanced over his shoulder, "Wanna help, Sammy?"

Sam cringed. _not really_ he groaned inwardly, but aloud he replied with a "sure, hang on." And marched over towards Glenn Matthews, preparing himself for the war zone that was the kitchen.

As Nigel stepped into the kitchen, he froze in horror at the sight.

It was a complete mess. There were food stains, pots and pans, and broken stuff lying just about everywhere. He could see Mr. Dorian's feet flailing out from under the silverware drawer, just as his father had said.

"Oh, geez, Dad, what did you DO?" Nigel whistled.

Glenn chuckled softly, "let's just say cuisines are going on my hit list." He told him, handing a few half-plates to Sam.  
The blond raised an eyebrow. "You have a 'hit' list?" he asked, only half sure he wanted to know the answer. "Isn't that--"

"Will someone get me out of this thing?!" JD cried, cutting the younger man off.

Nigel laughed, "Yeah, yeah, sure Mr. Dorian, I gotcha." He grabbed the man's feet and pulled hard. "SAMMY! Your dad is fat!" He joked with a playful grin after he got no success.

"Hey!" JD protested, "I am not!" To prove a point, he grabbed a section of skin, which clung pretty tightly to his body.

"Didn't need to see that...." Glenn muttered, rolling his eyes.

Nigel's smile was large and genuine. He felt light on his feet. He was having way too much fun to be allowed... his heart sank when he realized once again that he would be leaving soon.

Pulling his shirt back down, JD stalked towards the dining room--they were having guests, might as well eat there, he reasoned--only to glare at the Janitor. "You are a horrible chef." he spat, crossing his arms.

Glenn's eyes glimmered in that mischievous way. "Yeah? well you're too damn skinny for your own good." He shoved a piece of....something....into JD's face. "'EAT SANTA'" he ordered.

Trying not to laugh at the Rudolph reference, Sam looked to Nigel. "Uh....let's eat?"

Nigel dropped a glop of something brownish onto his friend's plate.

Sam studied the unidentified object for a moment before carefully giving it a light poke. He reeled back when the subject in question jiggled.

"That thing just moved!" he shrieked.

Nigel's guffaw could be heard for miles. "That's because it's CHOCOLATE JELLO!" He almost doubled over with laughter. "Geez, Sammy boy, do you even know how gullible you are?!"

Sam blinked--confused--before stuffing the jello into Nigel's face with a smirk. "Yeah well, at least I'm not _wearing_ it."

JD stifled a laugh--didn't want the Janitor accusing him of 'taking sides.'

"HEY! That was a great joke, don't go actin' like it didn't make sense--" Nigel spluttered as jello was thrown into his face.

"Boys please!" JD cried, wincing as the jello that _missed_ Nigel's head splattered against the wall, "I just cleaned that!"  
"Yeah guys, come on." Glenn echoed, detecting a tone of weariness in JD's voice, "sit down and eat it." He crossed his arms, staring at the boys slyly, "or you two'll be on kitchen cleanup duty."

Nigel slumped himself down in a chair quickly. He despised kitchen duty. "Yes, Father-Dearest." He said with a note of sarcasm.

Glenn shook a finger at the boy, "Careful son," he 'warned'--eyes laughing behind his supposed stern look--"Don't wanna end up cleaning the kitchen _and_ bathroom, do ya?"

Off to the side, Sam flinched sharply at the mention of the bathroom.

Nigel raised a brow at his father, "I thought this was Mr. Dorian's house? Shouldn't he get a say in who cleans what?" He didn't miss Sam's flinch, but he didn't want to seem too concerned-- he knew how touchy the blonde could get.

"Ha....ha....right." Glenn shook his head, before turning to JD. "What do you say, Dorian?"

JD blinked. "Well...."

"Excellent!" The Janitor half-cackled.

Nigel rolled his eyes. "You're insane, Dad. That explains about me, though."

Reaching over, Glenn did something unexpected; he ruffled his son's hair. "Don't you forget it," he declared proudly, causing both Dorians to look at each other awkwardly.  
Part of JD wanted to mimic the Janitor's action with his own son, but Sam was such a touchy individual, he was sure the action would be rejected, despite the strange look in the blond's eye.

Nigel made a sound between a chuckle and a giggle. He was sure now; he'd spent way too much time with the girly Sam Dorian... he glanced at said doctor and his smile faltered for a second. Crap.

"My gosh you sound like a Dorian!" Glenn gasped, changing the ruffle into a noogie. His eyes shifted to the other father, son pair, and his smile faltered when he noticed the looks on their faces.

"Er....you two okay?"

Sam twitched; JD putting away his troubled expression with a grin. "Yeah...." he glanced at his son, "yeah we are. No worries!"

Nigel didn't believe the elder Dorian's words for a second.

"OH SHIT." He cried overdramatically when the ruffled when noogie. "My glorious haiiiir...!"

Letting his son go, the Janitor doubled over, guffawing at Nigel's imitation of JD.

Grimacing at the display with his eyes, JD leaned closer to Sam, "what do you say we leave Kong and Kong junior to their 'family' moments?"

"Uh....sure." Sam replied, excusing himself from the table.  
He didn't really want to be alone with his father, but he knew Nigel was having a ball, and didn't want to interrupt him. He sensed it from the beginning, but was so wrapped up in his own misery he completely neglected his friend's feelings for his own father.

So the blond shrugged it off, swallowed any quarrel he might have, and followed JD.


	8. Their father son moments

**This chapter splits scenes a bit, in case anyone's confused: heads up. But sadly, we're coming to the end of this fic. TT_TT Only two more chapters left!**

* * *

Barely even registering his friend's departure, Nigel picked up some unknown glob-- he was pretty sure it wasn't chocolate jello this time. "Don't make me glop-ify you, Dad!" He shouted, feeling absolutely ridiculous as the words tumbled out of his mouth without very much thought.

Down the hall, Sam chuckled at his friend's playful screech; imagining him dive-bombing under the table. "Oh Nigel." he said, shaking his head.

JD nodded. "No kidding. Those two are quite a pair." He stopped then, whirling around, and sending his son back a step in surprise. "Do you hate me?"  
"What?"

"Do you....do you hate me, Sam?"

* * *

The older man chuckled, grabbing a spoonful of he didn't even know what. "Nigel ol' boy, you are going down!" He challenged, hurling the unidentifiable edible object at his son.

-----------------------------------  
"Hate you?" Sam echoed, shocked, "Dad why...."

"Oh don't pretend you don't know!" JD cried, no longer smiling. "I've been watching you this whole time! Even after....after you told me I...." he forced the words out of his mouth, "....I....killed....myself....I thought you'd forgiven me when I told you I wouldn't. But...." His shoulders sagged, and it was then Sam realized his father wasn't as happy-go-lucky as he'd posed to be.

"Dad...." Sam managed. Truth be told, he wasn't expecting such a confrontation. So used to being angry himself, it struck him odd to see such an emotional side of someone else.

Especially his father.

* * *

"NOOOO!"

Picking up a chair, Glenn blocked the green mass from hitting his head. "Victory shall be mine!" he declared, grabbing a handful of yellow slop and under-hand throwing it towards Nigel.

This was way too much fun.

* * *

"Not on your life!" Nigel shouted between laughs, narrowly dodging the weird, yellowy stuff. "I AM THE SQUIRREL PRINCE!"

Well I am the--ACK--grand squirrel king!" Glenn laughed, a glob of something unidentifiable smacking his nose. Dropping the chair, he rolled--spy style--on the floor, scopping up the presumed pudding, and hurled it at Nigel.

* * *

"I'm your father...." JD said, clearly distressed, "but I've never felt so far from anyone in my life! I can't....I can't...."

"Dad! DAD!" Sam blurted, shaking him by the shoulders, "Calm down!" This wasn't good. If his father was driven to near hysterics so early in his life, then how would he be in the future?  
"It's....it's okay." He couldn't believe his own words. "I....I don't hate you, alright? I just....I mean what you did...." The grip on his father's shoulders tightened. "....I didn't want to forgive you. My life was altered completely, you know? Everywhere I went, no matter who I was, I was just "the poor little son of Dr. Dorian." No one ever looked at me and saw....'me.'"

A dry squeak emitted from the older Dorian's throat. "I'm sorry...."

"No. I am. Because you know what?" He stared his father straight in the eye, summoning every once of manliness he'd ever possessed. "I just couldn't hate you. You were my dad. Dammit, I even became a doctor! Do you think I'd do that if I didn't care at all?" He laughed, answering his own question. "No. I wouldn't have." The distraught expression in JD's eyes softened--this news apparently calming him down. So Sam decided to bring it home.

"I WANTED to hate you--I should have after what you did.....but....truth be told dad...." His voice cracked. "I'm still a Dorian. And...." Nigel would never let him live this down if he heard Sam's next words, "I still love you."

* * *

"You SO wish!" Nigel raised another green blob into the air, launching into the air to kick it at his father ninja-style--

--And promptly fell on his ass.

"I don't wish, Nigel ol' boy! I know!" It was then Glenn took an entire bowl of yellow-ish slop and dumped it on the boy's head. "Points for the king!" He bellowed triumphantly.

* * *

Shocked into silence, JD's eyes widened to their fullest extent, something painful twisting in his heart upon hearing his son's words. Even after everything the boy suffered, Sam still....he still.....  
"I....I love you too, Sammy." He croaked, tears blurring his vision. "No matter what the future holds."

Since meeting his past father, the sincerity of Sam Dorian's smile was 100 percent genuine.

Before he knew what he was doing, he pulled his dad into a hug, succumbing to the behaviors of the man he once swore he'd never be.

He knew now, no matter how hard it got, that this John Dorian was not about to take his own life.

Not now, not ever.

* * *

Nigel coughed, "That stuff tastes horrible!" He proclaimed, flailing to clean it off.

Glenn chuckled triumphantly. "You had it coming." He stated, as if he'd longed planned the onslaught. "Speaking of getting what's coming to them," he said, suddenly aware of something "where's Dorian? And Sam? I almost forgot they left."

Nigel blinked. Once. Twice. "They left?" He asked almost dumbly.

Glenn shrugged. "Yeah. At least I think they did. Could'a disintegrated during the fight. I'm not all that sure if this stuff is toxic or not."

"That's so reassuring I could cry."

"Sarcastic as ever." His father chuckled, wiping his sleeve with the back of his hand. "Seriously though."

"Do you think they're okay?" Nigel asked, curious now. He made a move to sneak into the room where he assumed the two had run off to.

"Only one way to find out!" Stepping in front of his son, Glenn put a finger to his lips, silently instructing Nigel to be silent. That finger became a hand gesture, beckoning the younger Matthews to follow him.

The best way to find both Dorians?

Stalk them, of course.

Nigel grinned. Of course, stalking. How ever would they find them any other way?

Definitely the Janitor's son, he matched the older man step-for-step.

"Oh Dooooo~oooorian!" The Janitor sang, parading down the hallway, "Come on out will ya?" keeping the air of lightheartedness, secretly, Glenn was beginning to worry. Where _were_ they....

As fate would have it, it was then he poked his head around the corner.

Nigel followed suit, and started at the sight of two hugging Dorians. Then, slowly, he smiled.

Looks like they'd done their job after all.

Father and son, reunited. At peace with each other. It was a beautiful sight.

Time for an interruption.

"Ahem." Glenn cleared his throat, and Sam's head shot up, backing away from his father like the charge of two positive magnets. He was still a bit uncomfortable with the whole emotional thing.

"I hate to interrupt you two," Glenn continued, after he'd stifled snickering at the blond, "but the uh, dining room could use some assistance....looks like a bomb went off in there."

JD's face paled, and Sam's eyes narrowed at Nigel. "What did you two do?"

"Noooothing. Honest." Nigel answered coyly.

"Uh-_huh_." Sam didn't believe his friend for a second. Promptly dragging Nigel by the wrist, he headed towards the war-zone known as the dining room.

"Holy....what the _hell_ were you two doing?!"

Glenn exchanged glances with his son. "the words 'family bonding' come to mind."

Sam's eyes rolled.

"Genius vocabulary, Father-Dearest." Nigel chirped, though his tone did not match his expression. He looked like a child who had been caught doing something very bad.

JD continued to stare, running a hand through his hair. "Um, well...." he began, slightly overwhelmed by the mess, "....We really should clean this up...." He looked from Sam, to Nigel, and then to Glenn, who just grinned at him, rolling his eyes as if to say 'typical Dorian.'

"Typical Dorian." He echoed aloud, "always getting stressed over nothin'."

"N-nothing? My dining room is--"

WHAP!

A dishtowel made contact with the back of JD's head.

"Dorian, Dorian," the Janitor marveled, laughter evident in his voice, "We're"--he looked at Nigel--"in the janitoring business. How long do you think this is going to take?"

"And I'mma handyman." Nigel chimed in, "Just get me some glue and I'll fix the plates before you can say 'world domination'!" He added the last part for dramatic effect, something the Matthews were famous for.

...These two Matthews, anyway.

"I'll help too, dad." Sam chimed in, stepping over an overturned chair, "Heck knows I've done more than my share of chores over the years."

What could he say? They're offer was flawless. "Alright...." JD said hesitantly.

"Excellent!" Glenn cackled, thrusting the dishtowel in the air, "then let's get to it!"

Nigel attempted to imitate his father's cackle, but it ended up sounding awkward so he abruptly shut his mouth with a blush.

"Looks like yours still needs work." Sam said, poking Nigel's shoulder.

"Your FACE needs work." Nigel retorted sourly.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Way to be mature, Nigel."

"...So's your face."


	9. Their final night

Time became lost as the band of....associates....set to work cleaning the war zone. Everything became one multicolored spiral of sticky substances and shattered silverware. Every so often, someone would gag, vomit--or a bit of both--and they'd be left with yet another mess to tidy up.

However, when Glenn retired his dishtowel into the sink, none of that mattered.

They were _done_.

"OH THANK YOU SWEET JIHOKALASVKAS." Nigel exclaimed, slumping down into a chair. At the bewildered looks everyone gave him, he elaborated, "I didn't wanna say 'God' so I made somethin' up."

JD nodded in approval; too wiped out to make an audible response. He never--ever--wanted to do that again.

Nigel yawned. "What now?"

"Well," His father answered, "we're all tired, and no doubt Lady's gonna worry. So how's about you boys head back to my place, huh? Spend the night one more time before you leave?" It was more of a plead than a request: Glenn rater enjoyed spending time with his son, and wasn't all sure he could wait twenty-something years before they could do this again.

Nigel grinned and tried-- well, more experimented than anything-- to clap his father on the back. "Of course, Daddio!"

Glenn raised an arm towards the door, "then let's be off!" He waved at JD. "See ya Dori--"  
"Wait!"  
Glenn Matthews did not jump. He did not flinch. He did, however, raise an eyebrow, and turned in the direction of the voice. Which of course he knew belonged to the younger of the two Dorians. "What is it, Sam?"

The blond paused, relaying his next words in his head. "I...." His hands clenched at his sides. _Just say it_. "I'd like to stay here tonight. With _my_ father."

Nigel glowed. "You're gonna let him stay aren'tcha Dad?" He raised his own eyebrow at Glenn, in a fashion that was very familiar.

He knew what he should say--what he was _going_ to say....he just wasn't sure separating the time travelers was the best idea. Especially if Blond Doctor showed up.

But....in the rare chance something _did_ go wrong with their plan--which was absurd--this may be the last time Sam Dorian ever got to see his father. And that was not something Glenn Matthews was going to prevent.

"Alright, Sam." He said at last. "You can stay."

Sam's face lit up so brightly it would not look out of place atop a Christmas tree. "Thank you, Mr. Matthews! I swear I--"

"You will contact Nigel and I tomorrow morning via the walkie talkie I gave you earlier. We need to get you two back where you belong."

His face was stern, but there was that janitor-like playfulness dancing in his eyes. "Come on, Nigel." He said, ruffling his son's hair once more, "let's leave these two to themselves."

"Sure-sure."

--------------------------------------------------------------------  
JD closed the door behind the other father son pair, having gained enough strength back to get off the couch. "And I thought _one_ janitor was a handful." he chuckled.

Still grinning, Sam half-shrugged. "You get used to them."

"I bet."

They sat in silence for a while; without the mayhem of the Matthews team, it was easy for things to get awkward.

_what a way to spend a visit_ the older Dorian thought bitterly, mentally kicking himself to end the silence. He stared at Sam, who seemed to be either daydreaming--a man after his own heart--or becoming more familiar with his surroundings.

Speaking of which....

"Sam." JD asked, snapping the boy to attention, "Do you uh, want a tour of the place?"

For a moment, the light left the blond's eyes; back to his original somber self. But, being a Dorian, he tried to hide it. "No....that's alright dad. I remember this place pretty damn well."

There went that idea. "You sure?" He asked, desperate for something to break away from the silence.

Sam grimaced. "I'm sure." Sarcasm resurfacing, Sam proceeded on autopilot. "This is the living room. You used to sit here--staring at the tv--when your shift ended. Over there is the uh....dining room....stopped using that when I turned eight. Down the hall are two bedrooms: yours, and mine. You later divide mine in two to share with my sister."

"You have a--"

"Aaaaand finally we have the bathroom. That's where Elliot found you when you...." He stopped. "....see? I know this place like the back of my hand."

JD nodded, also seeming to be on autopilot. "Yeah. Yeah you do." He paused, waiting to see if the boy was going to explode once more. When it looked like he wasn't, JD continued, "You know....I uh, really enjoyed seeing you as an adult....even if we didn't start off on the best of terms." His eyes softened. "I'm proud of you, Sammy boy."

That caught the younger Dorian off guard. "You....you are?"

JD grinned. "Sure am. No matter what crap I put you through, you turned out alright."

Sam returned his father's smile with one of his own. "Thanks dad." He said. To himself, he added, _I hope you still feel that way in the future._

* * *

"You think they're okay?" Nigel asked as he opened the door to get in the van.

Glenn's eyes trailed to the front door of the Dorian household. "Yeah I do." He replied simply, getting into the van himself. "I really do."

"I agree completely." With that, Nigel closed the door behind him.

* * *

**Only one chapter left! Gasp!**


	10. Their return

**This is it! Last chapter, guys! Thanks for sticking to this story—I know it's a bit odd, but it turned out better than I ever thought it would!**

**And Celeste, dunno if you're reading this, but you're an awesome co-writer, and this is the most fun I've ever had with an RP!**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**

A flash of white, the supply closet being distorted...

All of those things sent Nigel's mind going completely outta whack as he stumbled back into his own time, Sam in tow. He struggled to balance and shook his head to clear it, "Holy-crap-on-a-stick-with-a-brick!" He exclaimed. "Forgot how much that messed ya up."

Sam gagged, struggling to free himself from a toppled-over mop. "You can say that again." He replied shakily. "I never want to do that again."

"Same here. Y'know, unless we have to." Nigel said, and left it at that. "How long do you think we were gone in this time?"

"Let's find out." Sam replied, reaching for the door. Stumbling on something or other, he opened it, cringing as the hospital lights flooded his eyes.

"Sam?" A familiar voice greeted them. "That you in there?"

Nigel's grin threatened to split his face in half, "Jackie boy!"

"Yeah, Jack." He answered, struggling against Nigel to free himself from the supply closet, "It's me." _Wow,_ The blond thought, staring past his friend _I guess we weren't gone all that long._

Jack peered past his friend, "Nigel? What the hell were you two doing in there for ten minutes straight?"

"Um." Nigel simply could not cease stunning himself with his impressive vocabulary.

"T-ten" Sam stammered, eyes bulging, "That's all we...." Bewildered, he exchanged looks with Nigel. Ten minutes? No....no that couldn't be. They'd spent over two days back in the past....how could....

Nigel shrugged. "Things work in mysterious ways, Sammy boy."

"What?" Jack asked, confusion etching on his familiar features.

Sam laughed. Any expression on a Cox's face that _wasn't_ anger was downright hilarious. "Cue the Twilight Zone theme." He said, jabbing Nigel's arm with his elbow.

Nigel, this time sure he would get it right, copied his father's maniacal laugh. "MWAHAHAHA! Yes, Sammy, yes!"

Jack gave him a wide-eyed look and chuckled disbelievingly, "You guys are insane, I swear."

"And you're just as...." he paused, then frowned. "Coxian" for lack of a better word "as your father."

Jack blinked several times.

_Well, crap._ Nigel thought.

Jack, puzzled, cocked his head to the side slightly. "How... do you know what my father was like? I know you've met him, but that was a leee-hooong time ago, Sam."

"We heard Aunt Carla call him that..." Nigel coughed.

"Like, five years ago, 'ta be exact." Jack continued with a note of sadness. "I told him to stop drinking, dammit. His freakin' liver was outta whack, remember? You were there when he died-- and so was your dad. I swear, I've never seen a grown man cry so much." The newer generation of Cox gave a half-sorrowful, half-humorous grin at the last memory.

Nigel blinked several times.

"My dad...." Sam squeaked, his eyes widening to their full extent, "....my dad was....there?" His head whipped in Nigel's direction, "My dad was there!" He exclaimed.

"HA! I knew it would work!"

Jack's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Have you guys gone mental or something? Aunt DJ _worshipped_ my dad, why wouldn't she be there?"

"No....Jack...." Sam tried, pure ecstasy preventing him from focusing on the current topic, "You don't....I mean...." He grinned; smile stretching from ear to ear.

"You know what, Sammy? Never mind. I don't think I'm ever gonna understand Pinky and the Brain."

Nigel puffed out his chest in pride, "Of course, I'm the Brain.

"Oh, _right_. _Sure_ you are." The blond muttered, rolling his eyes. "just because you--"

He stopped; a startling vibration from his pants pocket capturing his attention. "Sorry guys. Cell phone." He explained, though by the looks on their faces they could tell what it was.

"Of course I'm the--" Damn, and Nigel was just about to launch into a speech of how he was OBVIOUSLY the Brain, too. He shut his mouth as Sam raised the device to his ear.

"Who the hell would call during hospital hours?" Jack muttered, scowling.

"H-hello?" Sam asked, aware of Jack's scowling eyes and Nigel's pouty face, "Who's calling, please?"

"Who's calling?" the voice on the other end echoed in disbelief. "Come on Sammy, don't play me like that! Sounds like you almost don't recognize me!"

"I--"

"Anyway, I'll be quick. Since I'm chief over at St. Vincent's I can leave this place whenever I damn well please. So check out early and meet me for lunch down the street, okay?"

"Uh....You _do_ realize I can't really--"

"Just don't tell Jo you're leaving and I'm sure it'll be fine."

His jaw dropped slightly. Only one person referred to Dr. Mahoney as 'Jo'....

He gulped. "Dad?"

"What?"

"....N-nothing. Nothing I'll....I'll see you in a few. Bye." He hung up; head swimming as he stared at his friends in mild shock. "That was....that was my dad." he explained.

"I so knew who it was." Nigel lied.

Jack was baffled. "Sam, you're acting like you've never met your father before."

Instantly, his defenses were back up. "Well excuse me." Sam replied, "I didn't think the way I acted was of any concern to _you....Coxie_."

Anger and playfulness mixed together into an odd expression on Jack's face, "COXIE? Only your uncle ever dared to call me-- OR my father that."

Shock temporarily dissipating, Sam allowed for a smug smirk to spread across his face. "Hey, I'm a Dorian, what do you expect?"

Nigel scoffed, "As if you could expect anything else from a Dorian. They're so prideful, I swear." He rolled his eyes jokingly.

"Pfffft you're one to talk, _squirrel prince._"

Jack laughed, "Thatza new one!" he wheezed.

"And you'd do well to remember my authority!" Nigel cried indignantly.

The blond chuckled. "I'd listen to him, Jack." He warned, perhaps more serious than fooling around. "An angry Matthews is not a pretty sight." He shook his head, memories of the past few days playing before his eyes. "Anyway guys....I really should go. I don't want to miss lunch!"  
_Or the chance to see my father alive and well in this timeline._

"Damn straight!" Nigel huffed proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's MY thing." Jack grumbled half-heartedly.

Stifling a few more laughs, Sam held up a finger, "now boys," he mock-instructed, "I'm gonna be out late, so I want you two to be good and put yourselves to bed, okay?" He turned to Jack, "No TV after nine, do you understand me, young man? And Nigel, I don't care how much you ask, no cookies until AFTER dinner, or you're grounded."

Ah, how he loved to mess with them.

"Hey!" Nigel cried, but his voice cracked once. Sam's impersonation of his mother was uncanny. "You're not my--!"

Jack suddenly grabbed Sam and gave him a noogie, ruffling his blonde hair. "Shut 'yer mouth, kiddo."

"Jack!" Sam cried, "Let go!!!! I'm gonna be late!"

Reluctantly, Jack let his friend go and said, "Tell Aunt DJ I said hi wouldja?"

Trying his best to fix his hair, he nodded. "I will, Jackie-boy I will."

* * *

**That's it! **

**Yeah I know….not only have I FINISHED something, but it has a happy ending! Gasp! So much for my angst streak. XD**

**Anway, reviews are much appreciated—this is our first completed co-fic, so both Celeste and I would really like to know what you guys thought about it!**

**And also your opinions of adult Sam, Jack and of course, Nigel Matthews. **

**Until next time!**


End file.
